This is hump day, apparently. It’s the moment when more than half the US population has been jabbed. According to Wall Street that’s the net effect of 164 million people (61% of the population) having had a first dose and 130 million who are fully vaccinated. New shots are being administered at the rate of 1.8 million a day. President Biden is pushing for 70% coverage by the 4th of July. You will not believe the fireworks planned.
Covid cases have dropped to the lowest level since last June. This is a big reason stock markets have been humming along in record territory despite rising bond yields and the certainty CBs will start throttling back on the stimulus before long.
Corporate earnings are swollen like a yak in season. More than 80% of big corps beat the street with Q1 numbers. People are expecting year/year profits for Q2 will crush last year by 50%. “Certainly, we are looking for a continuation of earnings gains,” says analyst Ed Pennock. “These companies will be able to pass on most cost increases. They’ll be able to weather inflation without losing their gross margins.” That’s because consumers are not only sitting on a mountain of pandemic savings but, unlike the morose doomers who crawl into this blog to pet the puppies, they’re optimistic. Pumped. Amped up. People just wanna shop, drive and indulge.
It’s on this – solid GDP growth, full employment, robust earnings, a surge in value stock, heaps of capital and herd immunity – that the premise of the Roaring Twenties is based.
Is this euphoria misplaced? Are we too horny, too quick?
Seems we little northern beavs are getting just as juiced about the future as Americans. This week’s Nik Nanos polls shows consumer confidence at a record level, as the vaccines flow and reopening plans are announced. Almost half of us expect a stronger economy over the next six months and 62% think real estate will continue to wobble higher.
This suggests more spending, more jobs and stronger growth. The expectation is for the GDP to inflate by close to 7% annualized in the last six months of 2021. Once again, this is all about vaccines – which have always been the one and only door out of this pandemic nightmare.
So where are we now?
As of this week 24.2 million doses have been distributed and 21.1 million of those have been used. Forty million more are coming in June and half of us have had at least one. Just 4% are fully vaccinated, but several provinces are accelerating their second-jab programs. In the industrialized world, we’re 3rd in terms of herd dosing, after the UK and America. From a dismal and disgraceful start in early 2021, the Canadian catch-up has been impressive. (That’s why you can expect an election in October.)
Vaccines are the only story that matters in 2021. They dictate the markets. Job prospects. Economic growth. Your RRSP and TFSA performance. Plus the price pressures on bungalows and golden doodles. Those who oppose dosing because it infringes on their liberties, or needles scare them, or they succumb to social media side-effect scare stories, or they’re selfish, are free riders. The ant-vaxers whose comments are routinely deleted here deserve public contempt. They have mine. The only valid reason not to be inoculated is messing with an existing medical condition. And not many fall into that category. Fear does not give you a pass.
Bank earnings start tomorrow with BeeMo. On Thursday the numbers flow from RBC, TD and the penguin guys. National on Friday. Scotia next week. With the Third Wave closures, revenues may be down a little from earlier in the year but far less money will be set aside for bad loans. Low interest rates have squeezed margins, but mortgages have been on a tear as have capital markets.
The banks are a proxy for the economy. They’re harbingers of the future. They will also be repopulating their glistening towers in the heart of the Big Smoke.
Normal is coming. Embrace it.
About the picture: ” I’ve been reading the blog for a long time,” says Tim, “and it’s helped me stop thinking about real estate and instead think about a nice B&D, self-directed portfolio. Thanks! Pictured below is our COVID puppy Norman, a beagle mix that we bought on Kijiji and picked up at a supermarket parking lot in Georgetown (I know).”
144 comments ↓
Yaks are considered to be seasonally polyestrous and breeding occurs from July to November.
Everyone knows that. – Garth
Is anyone else looking at all this UFO stuff in the news lately, and wondering…WHY NOW? Why is this old UFO crap being dragged out AGAIN now?
Is it a diversion of some sort? At first I was thinking it was just a new fear-toy to play with for the news media, but it seems to be driven by politicians and government entities. It’s weird. It’s as if it is some palette cleanser to make us forget Covid and get us back to pre-Covid things. Nothing more Covid to see here, move on folks. Like a station playing a nice 70s 80s and 90s hit to take you back to the simpler times and days away from Drake. It’s weird is all I’m saying. Not only the timing but the subject.
By the way, since the X-Files are now declassified I just want you to know once and for all about this UFO thing…it was the Russians!
During key spy missions after WWII related to the nuclear program Russians needed to distract the American intelligence agencies and thrown them off the scent, so they sent in a few silver disks, a few mutated humans, some dwarfs, some weird human parts from mutations of all the chemicals and experiments during the war, and the Americans bought it. Media loved it! Hollywood ran with it big time. I bet you there are some alien stores in National Enquirer this week.
I wonder if the Conservative Party realizes O’Toole has committed political seppuku and screwed the middle class in an attempt to emulate the Liberal’s platform.
My guess is no.
Maybe Steven can resurrect the Reform Party for those of us that actually care about our country.
Again my guess is no.
We’re so screwed.
Normal isn’t coming until Dr. Tam, the Ontario doctors advising Ford and any leaders who work for Health Canada are replaced. Its painfully obvious these people do not want normal back ever and keep searching for reasons to keep everything closed and shut down.
Remember you cant get a haircut until 70 percent of people are vaccinated with a first dose, yet US is holding hockey games with full stadiums unmasked with the percentage of people with a first dose less than Canada. Oh and no big outbreaks, 4th waves and other nonsense pushed up here by the “experts”.
6.90 an hour working for Alcan Aluminum loading/unloading trucks popping salt pills all day—must have been 130 in those trailers–summer of 1981.Don’t know what minimum was never worked for minimum wage.Took home about $250/week with a little OT and just back from Ist year at Western so money felt okay,nothing great though–knew guys getting a lot more than that at Ford or Molson’s
#114 Km on 05.25.21 at 1:30 am
@Faron, get a grip man. All this shared economy comes down to the fact that most cannot afford to own certain things so they rent them. It has nothing to do with not wanting to own them, human nature never changes we like stuff. If the money was there the people would buy it not rent it. If it wouldn’t cost me $200 a month to store a boat I would buy one not rent it. All my millennial friends are jealous of us being able to afford a car in downtown Vancouver. They love car share but would not say no to a free car, same as the would love to own a home but cannot afford to so they rent. Shared economy is mostly about being broke from what I see from all those who use it not about not wanting to own them.
******************
I’m just a young Gen-X, but I lean more towards not owning stuff despite being in a financial situation where I could if I wanted to.
♦I don’t enjoy maintenance so owning a house just sounds like a burden to me.
♦Car maintenance and breakdowns are crap too. Leasing and replacing is much more appealing, which is just renting with a contract.
♦I like boats but for a few hundred I can rent a $40,000 one that I would never use enough to make buying a logical choice. I’d feel obligated to use it every weekend instead of 0-10x per year.
The same goes for toys: I’m thinking about getting E-bikes for the summer, and I’m annoyed that they cost $100 per day to rent or $2,100 to buy. I’m going to end up buying them for $4,200 and then selling in October for ~3.5K which is effectively renting them with more hassle.
Keeping and storing them for several years in order to “get my money’s worth” doesn’t appeal to me, especially after covid when traveling becomes a thing again.
For most things from boats to nail guns ownership only makes sense if you plan to be in the same place doing the same things for (what seems to me) a very long time.
That just isn’t the lifestyle we’re looking for.
#2 X-Files on 05.25.21 at 1:55 pm
Is anyone else looking at all this UFO stuff in the news lately, and wondering…WHY NOW? Why is this old UFO crap being dragged out AGAIN now?
Is it a diversion of some sort? At first I was thinking it was just a new fear-toy to play with for the news media, but it seems to be driven by politicians and government entities. It’s weird. It’s as if it is some palette cleanser to make us forget Covid and get us back to pre-Covid things. Nothing more Covid to see here, move on folks. Like a station playing a nice 70s 80s and 90s hit to take you back to the simpler times and days away from Drake. It’s weird is all I’m saying. Not only the timing but the subject.
By the way, since the X-Files are now declassified I just want you to know once and for all about this UFO thing…it was the Russians!
During key spy missions after WWII related to the nuclear program Russians needed to distract the American intelligence agencies and thrown them off the scent, so they sent in a few silver disks, a few mutated humans, some dwarfs, some weird human parts from mutations of all the chemicals and experiments during the war, and the Americans bought it. Media loved it! Hollywood ran with it big time. I bet you there are some alien stores in National Enquirer this week.
…
It’s smoking man having some fun from where ever the hell he ended up…..
Was watching the Panthers/Lightning hockey game last night, arena was at 75% capacity…yes 75%! Amazing to hear the sound of a real crowd again. Definitely a sign of things to come here in Canada once we get our numbers up. I’m getting jabbed this week. And bang on Garth when you say the only excuse for not getting jabbed is because of a medical condition and fear isn’t a viable excuse.
#1 Steerage Yaks
Yaks are considered to be seasonally polyestrous and breeding occurs from July to November.
——
So very much like Flu and Coronaviruses except they are October to May?
I sometimes wonder how much of this May Covid fade-out is vaccine, and how much seasonality of this family of viruses in this hotter period.
I also wonder what will happen in October. I have this strange flaming sensation when I think about it.
We need a vax to cure stupidity first for all the anti-vaxxers.
The job market is dire in Toronto.
The applicants have Bachelor Degrees, presumably with over C$50,000 in debt, and the job postings are for C$14.25-$15/hr.
One job posting had over 5,000 applicants for a Toronto job.
An October election announcement will likely come on the heels of the US/Canada border reopening. Lots of airline sector jobs at stake that need open borders.
It could be a very good couple of years, but there could be a lot of pain in the following years as they try and soak up the money printing party.
Think of the 70’s. Great times had when Nixon killed the Gold standard, but he inflation that followed took years to cause pain.
Think idiots who borrowed too much for a house having to reset at an extra 3% (That’s $30k/yr after tax on a $1M mortgage!)
Think strikes by Govt. workers asking for raises from a bankrupt Govt. to catch up with inflation.
But the US will have a very good couple of years if they kill the extra spending and taxes in the $2T infrastructure bill and quit paying people not to work…putting 10M people back in the workforce. The backlash against Biden and the Marxists (both cultural and economic) is becoming real, and that bodes well for the economy.
Canada will do well for several more years with commodity prices, if only to restock the world’s warehouses with metals, lumber, food…, but need to move higher up the value chain to really create wealth.
It’s all about govt. policy.
#4 Jay
Remember you cant get a haircut until 70 percent of people are vaccinated with a first dose, yet US is holding hockey games with full stadiums unmasked with the percentage of people with a first dose less than Canada.
——
Fascinating this 100% claimed success rate in reopening.
I think it’s just down to our tolerance and what success means. News media is showing all these crowds at stadiums, and declaring success, and showing restaurants and concerts with people, and people not wearing masks but there are 25,000 cases reported yesterday. 25K range was sustained for over 3 months before in July numbers bumped levelled and then start of October started to follow the flu season spike patterns.
Jake on 05.25.21 at 2:15 pm
We need a vax to cure stupidity first for all the anti-vaxxers.
————————————
Maybe if you hector, nag and ridicule them some more, it’ll fix them. Because that tactic is totally working now.
Here’s a better idea: you get your vaccine. If you’re safe, why do you care if they’re not? Do the responsible thing like I did: get your jab, and look on in amazement at how many anxious and scared people are in line for theirs.
You have an obligation to protect yourself, and that’s all you can do. You have no right to insist someone else do something to make you feel safer, and expect them to comply because you say so. I’m sorry, but you don’t.
Just caught up, regarding the OMG https://www.greaterfool.ca/2021/05/23/omg-2/
This is just a response to the epic decline in the standard of living of Canadians.
I am old enough to have experienced that “Canadian Dream”, where a single income family, the wage earner only had a high school education was able to support a family of five and a dog, no debt, only a mortgage at 3.5 x earnings – 1980.
Epic decline in Standard of Living and the sheeple are just accepting it.
We have had several decades where a narrow Elite interest has seized the agenda and enacted globalism sowing the seed for the destruction of the Western world’s middle class based society, with National income shifted from workers to the owners of capital.
Wage earners constructively destroyed:
• Competing against more labour supply via Globalization
• Less global demand for “workers” – via Technology
• General Inflation but no wage inflation.
This “Canada beyond 150”is just a trial balloon to see if the millennials are indoctrinated enough to accept the implications of our decline, our debt sustained illusion days are near it’s limits.
Climate Change cause , Wokeism, Racial division stoking, all are fabricated to ensure the energetic righteous cohort of our society does not “look up” and focus their lens on growing injustice of the “Class War”.
The Occupy Wall Street movement “got it” and that made them nervous.
If people’s work is low paid and not fulfilling and they have little hope of upward mobility they become existentially unhappy. It is why people go radically left or right, vote for the NDP, The Donald, the Fascists, and Hugo Chavez etc.
They need to create a “cause” or virtue so we sheepishly accept global serfdom.
Flop will you be able to ‘assist us’ with any outstanding tickets, fines or back taxes that we may have – quid pro quo of course? :)
Or wrong country? (Or we are just not there…yet?)
~450 days into this and after 24/7/365 prop the Kanadians have embraced such ideals as Illegal Haircuts. Illegal Travel. Illegal Gyms.
Life here in Kanada is different. Look all new cars/vehicles sold must pass the same set of safety and
crash standards.
Therefore the First car offered to you is your Best Car. That’s right.
I want you to walking into your local dealership and taking the first car offered to you!
Afterwards head out for lunch. Yes all eateries are subject to the same food safety standards. Therefore the First lunch offered you is the best one! Just take it.
…….
— If you had not noticed March 2020 was when the BofC got also ‘taken over’ and launched their globalist agenda. I mean you didn’t think this New System was launched ‘for your health’ did you?
This fringe candidate does best encapsulate this sentiment:
@MaximeBernier The far left woke have taken over the
@bankofcanada . The bank’s sole mandate is monetary policy but is increasingly focused on diversity, inclusion, inequality, and climate change. Meanwhile, they debase the dollar and let inflation rise.
Sadly “normal” isn’t great – normal means the world gorging at the trough of consumerism once again – normal means back to increased pollution of the oceans, land and air – normal means back to human recklessness
Norman looks like one confident, ready to rock the Roaring 2020’s pup:)
More than ready to have the virus be yesterday’s news. Waiting impatiently for the time when we can get our second jab. With any luck, that will be around Canada Day or maybe even a little before that. One can hope, anyway.
#6 SoggyShorts on 05.25.21 at 2:07 pm
I’m just a young Gen-X, but I lean more towards not owning stuff despite being in a financial situation where I could if I wanted to.
♦I don’t enjoy maintenance so owning a house just sounds like a burden to me.
♦Car maintenance and breakdowns are crap too. Leasing and replacing is much more appealing, which is just renting with a contract.
♦I like boats but for a few hundred I can rent a $40,000 one that I would never use enough to make buying a logical choice. I’d feel obligated to use it every weekend instead of 0-10x per year.
The same goes for toys: I’m thinking about getting E-bikes for the summer, and I’m annoyed that they cost $100 per day to rent or $2,100 to buy. I’m going to end up buying them for $4,200 and then selling in October for ~3.5K which is effectively renting them with more hassle.
Keeping and storing them for several years in order to “get my money’s worth” doesn’t appeal to me, especially after covid when traveling becomes a thing again.
For most things from boats to nail guns ownership only makes sense if you plan to be in the same place doing the same things for (what seems to me) a very long time.
That just isn’t the lifestyle we’re looking for.
************************
Agree with the vast majority of this. I own more stuff than I need, but buy less stuff than I could.
Buying a motorhome or trailer when $650 will get you one for a week is foolhardy for me since my wife and I work full time. My parents are retired, so their motorhome math changes significantly.
I disagree with Leasing a car, at least in my circumstances. I put on too many miles and still probably will work for another 20 years. Even when I replace my 5 year old car in 5-10 years, it will be with a 5-10 year old car bought with cash. Instead of 20 years of lease payments, I will change oil, rotate tires, and keep my CAA payed up (haven’t used it in years, though). Individual circumstances dictate.
Vaccines are part of a secret project to change your gender to female and turn you into a SJW who votes NDP and loves cats.
FACT.
Vaccines will make you more attracted to [email protected] and you will lose your life savings to high MERs and service fees.
FACT.
Garth Turner has received $10 Billion in Bitcoin for promoting vaccines on this blog.
FACT.
@#10 Jake
“We need a vax to cure stupidity first for all the anti-vaxxers.”
+++
The 4th mutated stain of Covid may take care of a few……….
Still waiting to hear when we can get our second dose of Moderna; had the first last March. We could get it tomorrow — in the US or Costa Rica.
#6 SoggyShorts on 05.25.21 at 2:07 pm
#114 Km on 05.25.21 at 1:30 am
@Faron, get a grip man.
—
For most things from boats to nail guns ownership only makes sense if you plan to be in the same place doing the same things for (what seems to me) a very long time.
That just isn’t the lifestyle we’re looking for.
—
Well put. I think one of the points of the report is that, with the move toward a gig economy and the almost complete loss of single job careers, there is less and less stasis in the lives of younger generations. Lack of stasis brings lack of ownership. Who wants to take out a loan for a car if, at a moment’s notice a person’s gig can be swept out from under them. Right?
If you conservatives want to stave off the hypercapitalist future that will bring about the access economy (capitalist where what’s being sold is rent rather than goods), you have to support for the following:
–Mandated meaningful wages and protections for workers including unions firmly for large corporations, with tax breaks to compensate small businesses. Do not tell me or anyone that there isn’t enough excess capital for this.
–Onshoring of jobs even if it means inflation and lower profits and lower equity prices.
–Higher taxes or some other mechanism that skims back the incredible wealth inequality that’s absolutely exploded in the past 30 years.
You don’t get both. Continue down the path toward plumping equity portfolios through maximum profit generation among publicly traded companies at any and all costs (deregulation, environmental destruction, worker exploitation, offshoring jobs) you will bring about the access economy. The 150 report simply recognizes that fact and sets out some framework for how such economy might play out.
This is what I don’t understand. The BOC is spending 3 billion a week to keep mortgage rates low. Then last week Tiff is warning Canadians to be careful with the housing market. Why would he not stop the spending and let mortgage rates go back to normal. I think for businesses keep the overnight rate at 0.25, but I don’t see a need for the 3 billion a week.
For those too stupid to get vaccinated, they should have to pay for their treatment if they get sick.
#8 Paddy
Was watching the Panthers/Lightning hockey game last night, arena was at 75% capacity…yes 75%! Amazing to hear the sound of a real crowd again. Definitely a sign of things to come here in Canada once we get our numbers up. I’m getting jabbed this week. And bang on Garth when you say the only excuse for not getting jabbed is because of a medical condition and fear isn’t a viable excuse.
—-
Panthers/Lightening is the grand prize here?
How about this Paddy? Governments have granted immunity to the vaccine makers under the emergency use order. That means the makers are not taking any long term effects liability. They know the game, the know side effects of drugs may take time to manifest.
Why do you think previous vaccines we use have undergone such rigorous testing before approval and use?
Instead of giving the vaccine makers blanket liability protection and offloading this on citizens to take full risk and liability for this national health emergency effort, how about Government of Canada step in and take the liability for the long term effects the vaccines may cause? Vaccines that they are pushing all to take as condition of delving services!
Give blanket liability protection for citizens taking the vaccine – since it is in such a national interest. “We’re in it together” but you take individual risk by taking it? Seems little off, don’t you think Paddy?
Why not protect the citizens as a confidence move? As in – we got your back fully…instead of offloading the total risk and liability for experimental vaccines onto the public?
Do you know how much hesitancy is caused by this fact that Pharma and governments aren’t liable for long term potential effects here? I’ve seen reports that it’s over 40% in Canada – which is a real issue to get out of this thing.
Do you know how much hesitancy of the vaccine would be removed if the liability wasn’t offloaded onto the people being told to take it?
I want to apologize for something I wrote here yesterday implying that “no one cares” when a generation passes on. What I meant to say is that no one cares about the material goods aside from some sentimentally important things. In no way did I mean to say that no one will care when older generations pass. I hope nobody took that the wrong way.
DELETED
Debts are astronomical. What if we need more stimulus and printing??
Albert, they must be getting degrees in liberal arts, basket weaving. My son is 19 years old got his full time real first job 2 months ago with just some college certificate classes and high school in the GTA here. He is making $16.75 an hour and gets an extra 5 sick days paid a year plus dental benefits, 5% vacation pay per year.
@#24 Faron
I lost interest at “stasis”……
It is rude to ask a woman her age.
It is rude to ask a man how much he earns.
It is rude to ask a person what religion they are.
It is rude to ask a person who they voted for.
It is NOT rude to ask if someone has been vaccinated?
MYOB!
@#26 Dave
“For those too stupid to get vaccinated, they should have to pay for their treatment if they get sick.”
+++
OR
Cant prove you’ve been vaxxed?
Then go to the back of the line for treatment…
For me, the October federal election means this: Walk to my local polling station to mark an X beside the name of whatever PC candidate is foolish enough to challenge Liberal Hedy Fry, then go home and watch as she easily wins her seat for the tenth time since 1993. Ho hum.
I thought by now China would have officially been asked to pay for this pandemic. Something like the USA saying you owe us $200k per case, multiplied by 33m cases for a total of 6.6 trillion. And since we owe you about the same, let’s just call us square, and thanks. France, Germany, etc. would be next in line. Everyone wins, except China of course. If you think I’m nuts then perhaps explain what is all this recent talk about the virus’s origins?
Referring to what we will face after the Covid crisis fades as normal is a bit of a stretch. Nothing about what we will face in the future will have any resemblance to 2019.
Change is on its way. Brace yourself. It may not be pretty!
With the bank dividend restrictions, how likely is it that the increases will be cumulative?
#6 SoggyShorts on 05.25.21 at 2:07 pm
ownership only makes sense if you plan to be in the same place doing the same things for (what seems to me) a very long time.
That just isn’t the lifestyle we’re looking for.
__________________________________________
The lifestyle I looked for at your age was one with the absolute minimum commute and work for the man tie up of my time, for ever.
All the paid for stuff I accumulated as it became available in no particular order, as low cost was of paramount importance, is to enable that goal.
Early on, it became evident that the more things I could restore and or make from scratch, the sooner I could arrive. Hence the tool habit.
Enjoy you life, I sure have been enjoying mine.
I came to this financial blog looking for help with the zero interest on savings situation. Not much talk about thriving while drastically reducing incomes here though. But it can be done, by deleting recurring expenses!
Our $1200 property tax bill plus the home owner insurance, internet, satellite, landline and $11.00/month grid tie is our only real overhead, other than car insurances.
All else is just basic personal expense that everyone everywhere suffers.
But yeah, I do the same daily eat, create things, shower, happy hour(s), sleep soundly, routine over and over, so there is that boredom you eschew, even with the 25% of net travel budget.
Got my Moderna vaccine yesterday! The needle was so tiny I didn’t even feel it. Certainly nothing to fear for those anxious about needles!!
Interest rates will never be considered “normal” in our lifetimes.
Period.
@#28 Faron
“I want to apologize for something I wrote here yesterday implying that “no one cares” when a generation passes on. ”
+++
It’s perfectly ok Faron you can denigrate my generation after I’m gone…
I’ll be dead.
I wont care.
Free riders indeed. From all the vaccinated to all the unvaccinated*, you’re welcome.
*except for those who are unable to
RE: #15 Rook on 05.25.21 at 2:33 pm
You have an obligation to protect yourself, and that’s all you can do. You have no right to insist someone else do something to make you feel safer, and expect them to comply because you say so. I’m sorry, but you don’t.
=======================================
That’s why I don’t worry about oncoming traffic crossing the center line. I’m completely safe in my own lane minding my own business.
#38 Wrk.dover on 05.25.21 at 3:45 pm
#6 SoggyShorts on 05.25.21 at 2:07 pm
Wrk.dover, I’d argue that your life’s trajectory is less and less available. Look at those who have fled to the “country” during COVID. They are saddled with too much mortgage debt while their neighbours, who bought in the ’80s, are living for nigh free. Same location, same potential lifestyle, vastly different outcomes.
The vast majority of canadians live in cities that are now ungodly expensive making the dream of buying your way to self subsistance all the harder. Buy a condo? You have condo fees forever and always going up.
#9 The Coasters on 05.25.21 at 2:15 pm
#1 Steerage Yaks
Yaks are considered to be seasonally polyestrous and breeding occurs from July to November.
——
So very much like Flu and Coronaviruses except they are October to May?
I sometimes wonder how much of this May Covid fade-out is vaccine, and how much seasonality of this family of viruses in this hotter period.
I also wonder what will happen in October. I have this strange flaming sensation when I think about it.
———
You don’t think it’s hot in India? They’re dropping like flies over there from covid.
Amazing how brainless some of you are. There’s too much stupid here.
Apparently our politicians don’t think so, I understand the need for caution, but their PR messaging is such a downer.
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-could-see-4th-wave-if-covid-19-isn-t-contained-globally-say-health-officials-1.5432127
Im not a dog person but every time i see the beagle puppy on the claritin commercial i stop to watch it .
They are one cute little doggy .
#21 High IQ Anti-Vaxxer
Vaccines are part of a secret project to change your gender to female and turn you into a SJW who votes NDP and loves cats.
FACT.
—–
I hope in the very least that made you laugh today before the DELETE.
I just re-read it and there was nothing offensive about it. Unless males feel insecure about the fact that women are actually the stronger and sex with males but servants providing for it…and the transformation High IQ Anti-Vaxxer suggest would actually be an “upgrade” and thus desired.
I’m still thinking about which injection site I would choose!
#34 crowdedelevatorfartz on 05.25.21 at 3:26 pm
@#26 Dave
“For those too stupid to get vaccinated, they should have to pay for their treatment if they get sick.”
+++
OR
Cant prove you’ve been vaxxed?
Then go to the back of the line for treatment…
———
Bring in a vaccine passport (including those legitimately unable to receive a vaccination for medical reasons) for all services. Include online shopping in those services because you need to protect the package delivery people. I guarantee vaccination uptake will be 99.9%. The other 0.01% would be for the poor hermit living in the woods without contact with the outside world.
Vaccines are the only story that matters in 2021.
—
SO true.
My 2 Vax Pandemic no brainer stock picks from 2020 chugging along at about 1% per day gains.
My US Death stock, also from 2020, off by just $2 since its 2020 April Fools day peak. Despite the US MSM hoopla about their vaxing, my US Death Mr. Market stock says:
Still can’t hear the robust lady singing.
She’ll start singing in August in Canada Garth. Maybe a bit earlier in the US. For sure by September when pretty much all vax’d in the US and Canada (that want to be).
—————-
The huge hospital near my place in Pordenone a 7 min walk away, CLOSED ITS COVID WING today.
https://i.imgur.com/6KO0dSA.png
No patients. They’re just going to care for the Covid long haulers.
No more ambulance sirens screaming by at all hours of the day and night like last year.
NEVER thought I would see (or hear) this day come. Alleluia.
#32 crowdedelevatorfartz on 05.25.21 at 3:25 pm
I lost interest at “stasis”……
—
OK
#42 crowdedelevatorfartz on 05.25.21 at 3:56 pm
It’s perfectly ok Faron you can denigrate my generation after I’m gone…
—
Some here care about ageism. The body is a vessel for what is a very youthful mind. Or, in your case, immature :-)
#46 Stone on 05.25.21 at 4:05 pm
You don’t think it’s hot in India? They’re dropping like flies over there from covid. Amazing how brainless some of you are. There’s too much stupid here.
—
Wow, easy tiger. There’s more to seasonality than temperature:
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/op-ed-humidity-can-aid-in-the-fight-against-covid-19/
Pre-monsoon India is hot and dry. There was a COVID spike in the US desert SW in summer when it was hot and dry. Winter COVID spike in Canada when the air is hella dry especially indoors. West coast of BC is humid all year long and our cases are pretty low. Between that and people being driven indoors in extreme temperatures and you have a big chunk of the recipe. I’m very curious to see how the desert SW fares in the coming months as the heat comes on yet people are vaccinated.
#46 Stone
You don’t think it’s hot in India? They’re dropping like flies over there from covid.
—-
Stone, a sliver of data if I may.
1.366 billion population of India.
7.19 crude death rate
9,821,540 deaths per year on average due to crude alone, with 2020 seeing crude death rate actually drop in India.
That works out to 26,908 people dying in India. Just because it’s today. Dropping like flies indeed.
DYK that 60M people will die in 2020, 164,548 today. 164,548 tomorrow. 164,548 on Thursday.
DYK that over 35M people have died of AIDS, and that one we can test for and eradicate if we doployed anything near the testing effort that has been deployed for Covid. If we mobilized that like, it could actually be wiped out. Sure, it would be a year of inconvenience – but AIDS…OUT! WOW.
I’m not going to go into qualitative analysis here of India numbers, because Garth isn’t a fan of it and he may get the impression that I’m disrespecting those who died of Covid, when in reality I try my best to treat every life and every death with equal statistical significance and importance. For that reason, I won’t do it.
What I will do is tell you about smoking, because…I think Smoking Man would enjoy me doing so.
You see, we keep kicking smokers out of restaurants, clubs, pubs, patios. We believe smoking is dropping. We believe less people smoke. NEWS tells us % of people who smoke is lower than ever. But you need to think critically.
There are more people than ever on the planet. Even if % of total who smoke drop, the total is big and smaller % means more smokers. In fact, there appears to be highest number of smokers in the world today – at about 1.3 billion smokers. Just in case you’re worried about Tobacco company profits, don’t be. They’re doing just fine.
#35 Damfino “Walk to my local polling station to mark an X beside the name of whatever PC candidate is foolish enough to challenge Liberal Hedy Fry, then go home and watch as she easily wins her seat for the tenth time since 1993. Ho hum.”
————————————————————–
Yes I have the same conundrum. The” crosses are burning as I speak” SJ Warrior has been living off her good work with the aids community many years ago., ” Long past her political relevancy due date.
Actually sent her office a comment/concern a year or so ago. Nada response so I sent it to her boss. Mr Socks. wham! got a simpering reply from her Headyness. Methinks she isn’t boy wonders favorite MP. (or mine)
Now her spawn is in political vocational school as C.O.V. councilor in training to take over her riding.
“For those too stupid to get vaccinated, they should have to pay for their treatment if they get sick.”
I’m sure the 98% of the population that won’t be seriously affected are really shaking in their boots. LOL!
Sir Garth:
By the time MSM latches on to a news item, such as inflating residential real estate in Hicksville the issue has already passed. Here in Owen Sound it would appear that the market died just at the time you spoke with local scribe Gowan about the subject a month ago. Listing prices have dropped at least on our street. Houses are on the market now for over a month that we’re going in four days for com-parables at the end of March. If you want to buy a house on a big lot there are a lot to chose from.
Me and my trustee are proceeding with filing for bankruptcy.
DELETED (Anti-vax)
DELETED (Anti-vax)
RE: Vaccines are the only story that matters in 2021.
—
As a European now and a Canadian I’m pretty proud of the EU and its vax planning.
– From 30 January until 30 April 2021, EU Member States approved export authorisation requests for 148 million doses to 44 destinations, incl. Canada (as of May 25: 88% of your doses are from the EU).
– By 30 April, some 163 million doses have been delivered within the EU.
That’s no mean feat.
“EU continues to actively support vaccine production and global distribution”
https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/japan/96794/node/96794_en
Unlike the UK and the USA, the EU walks the talk and per Ursula von der Leyen:
“…to protect Europe and the world in the long term.”
https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1395297753115287553
——————–
And Beavers if you come to Italia in July to spend some money and show some gratitude, please:
soundproof your luggage wheels*
*Leave the fashion designer suicide Tilley Hats in Canada or don’t unpack them in Italia.
Grazie.
#58 MYOB
DELETED (Anti-vax)
—–
Garth, pointing out that a FAT tax refund is deserved if one were to be told to go to the back of the treatment line (like #34 crowdedelevatorfartz demands) in the health care system to which one contributed decades of taxes is anti-vax?
Sweet mercy!
What crowdedelevatorfartz demands is inhumane and unethical on so many levels, I can’t believe it was even allowed to be posted here by you.
#35 Damifino on 05.25.21 at 3:36 pm
For me, the October federal election means this: Walk to my local polling station to mark an X beside the name of whatever PC candidate is foolish enough to challenge Liberal Hedy Fry, then go home and watch as she easily wins her seat for the tenth time since 1993. Ho hum.
————-
Time to move to a different riding.
She’ll probably outlive you.
@#52 Faron
“Some here care about ageism.”
+++
The only people that care about age are the young who continually whine about how easy the Boomers had it many years ago.
Not to worry.
It happens to the best of us.
You’re aging as we type.
#48 tbone on 05.25.21 at 4:11 pm
Im not a dog person but every time i see the beagle puppy on the claritin commercial i stop to watch it .
They are one cute little doggy .
—————
That’s what commercials are for.
Make you buy what you don’t need.
Did you buy the Claritin for your puppy?
Oops. Bad math on my part using total cases instead of new cases. US is roughly 3/4 of Canada.
Curious:
Why can’t the government enact legislation for a time mandating minimum mortgage rates but leave the overnight and lending rates for less bubbly areas lower?
What’s to stop them from enacting a law stating that for say the next 12 months, minimum mortgage rates, regardless of terms, for people purchasing an owner occupied home of any sort will be 4 percent and for a second home or investment it will be 6 percent?
#24 Faron
THE 150 Report is dumb, written by Mill self-serving civil servants.
Nothing more than a lap sucking effort into the good graces of the current political regime in Ottawa.
Brown nosing malarkey that is so off the wall I wonder if those people even know if there is a wall at all.
Used to be called:
Grovellers
or
Chairman Trudeau’s Little Red Book bested by his Cdn Mill Civil Servant Red Guard that think of themselves as future “visionaries, seers”.
Naivete, hubris they can divine the future, arrogance thinking they know best.
#40 Leanne – “the needle was so small….”
Did you expect a horse vaccine?
saw a rpt that said that 40% of the people in the us that had no vax yet said that the only reason was just economic i.e. they couldnt afford the time off for the appt or more time off if they got sick with a reaction.
It looks like early treatment works to cure COVID (some claims we could have limited half of the casualties) unfortunately any reference to those have been suppressed by unelected health officials and politicians. Social media and YouTube censored actively any ref to hydroxichloroquine and ivermectin. Many doctors (the real ones that deal with patients) were harassed because they wanted to cure/save some life. Health officials choose to let people without early treatment and therefore have let people die. Some people will have to be accountable when this crisis is over. Stone #50 you are a P.O.S
#66 Rogerhomeinspector
****
Blow up the #1 economic driver in Canada? Look around.
Politicians are the Executive Realtors.
Actual Realtors are just Field Reps
Banks are just administrators processing the mortgage paper work with no risk.
…which it turns out the Executive Realtors (aka: politicians) actually secure the risk on for the banks.
The whole thing is hilarious.
Politicians on both ends – the land control and loan risk security – and banks and realtors are just middle men making the #1 economic contributor…well…contribute!
Now, check your reassessment notice. Your property is now worth more! Pay more property taxes ASAP!
# 64 Ponz
Dont have a doggy or the drug.
I usually mute commercials and dont pay attention to them. Thats the only one i watch .
There isnt anything i need to buy anymore .
Just food and not much else.
Sweet blog dog photo today. I look into his eyes which seem to say ” They called me Norman, but my real name is ‘Love Bug’.
Rogerhomeinspector…that’s what the stress test is for
My wonderful wife would remind me that it’s not proper to say anything nasty about people, so I won’t.
But I read the profiles of those attached to the Beyond 150 and I believe it’s fair to point out that they all seem to have, to a large extent, led exceptionally privileged lives, with coddled academic experiences, bathed in unanimity of thought, and tranches of neo-Marxism. They all seem to also share a haughty conviction they know best, and should impose their solutions wherever they can manage to.
We may be doomed.
“Is this euphoria misplaced?” – Garth
__________________________
Seems so in stock markets. GDP numbers are stellar after mandated house arrests end, but for how long? Can we really expect permanent growth because of all this?
Markets were expensive before the whole Covid scare – the S&P is up a lot since then…
Does that make any sense? Thoughts?
60# Dolce. You are in Europe so you probably witness the raising concerns of people (doctors, epidemiologist… among them) that question the fact that officials let people die from COVID when we had a chance to cure them with cheap and effective treatment like hydroxychloroquine. The American association of physician and surgeon that are neither anti vax, neither conspirationists are telling the same story. I appreciate your posts and your fight for free speech that has been suppressed in so many ways this past year.
#27 Regular Joe
Ok, but… did it ever occur to you that bringing the vaccines (which are all build on existing vaccine technology) to the public to curb the spread of the virus before it got out of control (think India and Brazil) might have been more important and less risky that waiting it out to conduct long-term testing?
Sometimes you just have to make a timely decision based on the risk factors at hand.
DELETED (Anti-vax)
#77 William
If you accepted Hydroxychloquine as a vaccination for covid19, you would
1: not be vaccinated. it’s a therapy not an antibody prevention sdrug
2: 100x more likely to have a cardio reaction than any blood clot reaction from AZ
That’s why the CDC killed it
DELETED (Anti-vax)
“President Biden is pushing for 70% coverage by the 4th of July” gag reflex right there “Normal is coming”.. I doubt it, there won’t be much normal over the next few years .. or decades. Except bank earnings. Let me check my bank statement…. Yeah, they took a whole bunch of my money in fees and returned nothing in interest. So my prediction is , once again, “record earnings”.. Hooray! we have the most stable banking system in the world!
Leave the analysis to those that work in their proffesion.So many lead themselves to conspiracy, and run dark scenarios through the brain whithout a clue.
Numbers are lowering, facts, not emotional grumblings, and yet some still believe they will glow in the dark after receiving a jab.
Think about this the next time you have an unbearable toothache.
GET VAXXED.
#34 crowdedelevatorfartz on 05.25.21 at 3:26 pm
@#26 Dave
“For those too stupid to get vaccinated, they should have to pay for their treatment if they get sick.”
+++
OR
Cant prove you’ve been vaxxed?
Then go to the back of the line for treatment…
……………………
To all of you attempting to force medical intervention on people, or punish them for not taking a new vaccine, you need to check yourselves, host included.
I will not receive a vaccination because:
1. Had the virus in March/April 2020. Healthcare denied, cuz “scary virus”. Likely had pneumonia follow it, but who knows? I don’t, no medical care provided.
2. Zero trust in healthcare in Ontario. Did not inform me or treat me for a positive test for waterborne parasite…two months, untreated, dropped to 100 lbs. due to severe malnutrition and dehydration. Follow up? Nothing. Probably have heart damage. Only found out from health unit as it’s a reportable public health issue, they had to interview me.
3. Heart rate 160 for 2 hours, following above. Healthcare’s answer? No work up, told I was anxious, would need psych meds for life. How about a work up after two and a half months of severe malnutrition? Crickets. Hysterical woman, right?
4. My 10 yr old sent to Sick Kids, after a local test. Urgent, urgent, fly to Toronto. Maybe this drug will help…left on it for 4 years, should have only been on it for 8 WEEKS. Found that out by requesting report after 4 years.
Plenty more examples of useless Ontario healthcare, but I think you get the picture. Zero trust. ZERO! Punish me by withholding healthcare? LOL. Go for it! Don’t get any anyway! They sure like my tax money though.
#67 Dolce Vita on 05.25.21 at 5:37 pm
#24 Faron
10-4 good buddy. DV is nawt a fan of considering a future in ways he’s not a fan of. Noted. Those pesky (dumb) Millennials should have been out flipping your burgs or pouring your starbux?
So, what do you think the future holds for us or you 10-20 years out? Italia is the I in PIGS, so has business as usual (post GFC austerity followed by continued EU strangling followed now by EU printing all under various italian governments drenched in corruption and scandal) worked for you and yours? What happens next?
“Those who oppose dosing because it infringes on their liberties, or needles scare them, or they succumb to social media side-effect scare stories, or they’re selfish, are free riders.”
Well, I had an appointment for me and my family but it got cancelled. I was supposed to be able to rebook today but the system isn’t working. So my take would be that the uptake on the vax is just about as fast as they can deliver them. Garth, don’t be mad at me for waiting my turn, I will get it done. But now that it is available to everyone there seems to be a mad rush.
I had booked at a pharmacy because AHS said they were out of spots. (After I had put in all my info, dummies. You’d think they’d think to search for a spot before taking all the info. At least they have a note on the site now saying you might not get a spot even after putting in all your info but that seems dumb.)
But then the pharmacy sent out an email saying all bookings were canceled because too many people weren’t showing up so doses were going to waste, so rebook, starting today. Well either they are already booked to the end of July or the system isn’t working, or is overwhelmed.
I heard tell, rumors really, that the booking problem is in large part being driven by people making multiple reservations and then going to the earliest one they could get but not cancelling their other reservations. And possibly anti-vax trolls that have nothing better to do but screw with the system by booking appointments they have no intention of using.
Anyway, I suppose some chaos should have been expected. I don’t think they’ve ever rolled out such a big program before, so all things considered things are going pretty well. Most traditional vaxxes go out 1 year cohort at a time, so maybe 1/75th the effort this has been.
#40 Leanne on 05.25.21 at 3:45 pm
Got my Moderna vaccine yesterday! The needle was so tiny I didn’t even feel it. Certainly nothing to fear for those anxious about needles!!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Same here! Didn’t feel a thing!
On the other hand, I’ve heard Pfizer is administered using a homemade shiv dipped in the juice, jabbed into your thigh through your jeans.
Kidding aside, social media junkies…
“Moderna and Pfizer are like Mercedes and BMW. You don’t turn down a Mercedes. You don’t turn down a BMW.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/moderna-vaccine-preference-1.6034764
#80
Never say that, not against vax at all, just talked about curing people in the early phase so we limit casualties (most important thing) and we don’t rush into providing a vaccine that has not yet finished the trials.
your statement number 2 is false, HCL is used for 60 years and in a very safe way. You must refer to the fake paper published in the Lancet magazine ? https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31324-6/fulltext
Garth you are a good guy and I understand as a public person that you had to censor my last post though it was not against the proven technique of vaccination that I have never denied, still appreciate you very much
#2 X-Files on 05.25.21 at 1:55 pm
Is anyone else looking at all this UFO stuff in the news lately, and wondering…WHY NOW? Why is this old UFO crap being dragged out AGAIN now?
————————————-
There are no aliens. There are three proofs;
First, the earth is the center of the universe and stars are just lights in the firmament, or possibly angels.
Second, the bible makes no mention of other planets.
Third, if there were advanced aliens that could cover interspatial distances, they would be here and not us. Except maybe in a zoo. Or on farms, depending on what they like to eat.
So you can safely chalk the UFO thing up to another government conspiracy, like the moon landings.
Wtf. B.C records 18 cases of the flu this year down from annual 5,500 between 2015 and 2019.
Social distance, lockdowns & masks. What other outcome would there be? – Garth
DELETED
#146 crowdedelevatorfartz on 05.25.21 at 1:16 pm
@#143 Phylis
I couldnt open the link but I googled Historical Minimum wage in Canada and up it came
Nova Scotia Min wage 1965 was $0.90 Hr
Min wage in 1970 was $1.05 Hr
Boomers had it so easy.
——————————–
If you have a Canadian dollar coin from 1965, the melt value is $20 (CAD) today.
#75. My wonderful wife would remind me that it’s not proper to say anything nasty about people, so I won’t.
No worries I’ll do it for you – their naive idiots – cheers
The science is different in Kanada. As the Globalist-backed ruling junta toys with us like cat with its mouse.
.Manitoba extends May long weekend COVID-19 public health order by 3 days (globalnews.ca)
……
But yes expect a severe consumer recession 2022-2024. The “Re-opening” [sic] frameworks are designed to drag this out – well into 2022.
The best explanation I’ve heard why the economic shutdowns:
“It’s about reducing work force/products/movement to create inflation and raise interest rates.
Supply is low, prices up.”
……
Some say Australia is the main test zone, Kanada 2nd.
You must can a QR code for entry into any building. Yes buzzed in and out like in a prison. (Australia appears to be the big test zone for everything. A nice isolated, homogeneous test bed.)So will we get this? (Hint we both have lots of natural resources for the plundering) .
“New restrictions in Melbourne after fifth COVID-19 case By Chanel Zagon Mark Saunokonoko 10:50am May 25, 2021”
.Australia will need to remain closed for decades if it wants to stay 100% COVID-19 free, according to the Australian Medical Association (businessinsider.com.au)
“While the AMA suggests many Australians don’t think border closures past 2022 are “reasonable”, in fact evidence on the ground suggests the majority of Australians are content to sacrifice freedom for safety.”
—–
A Tesla car sharing service in Toronto: Basically, $1500/month. Gas is included (kidding).
https://steerev.com/plans-pricing/
“Social distance, lockdowns & masks. What other outcome would there be? – Garth”
Wow! If we had known it was just that easy to eradicate the flu…
#94 TN
A Tesla car sharing service in Toronto: Basically, $1500/month. Gas is included (kidding).
—————
Great deal.
Sailo as Chauffeur included.
made an offer on a house today up in Canada
85K above asking
not good enough 5 other offers
when is this gong stop
make it stop
Normal is coming for sure and will be like a hyena on stimulants.
Not so sure about wage and salary increases though – the amount of coin you are left with in the jeans pocket is all that really matters in the end.
#45 Faron on 05.25.21 at 4:02 pm
#38 Wrk.dover on 05.25.21 at 3:45 pm
#6 SoggyShorts on 05.25.21 at 2:07 pm
Wrk.dover, I’d argue that your life’s trajectory is less and less available.
_______________________________________
Anybody can still achieve $100/mo CPP!
Admittedly, during the 23% LOC year, I had a five ton truck load of building supplies dropped on our re-cleared abandoned land purchase, and erected my 900′ R-2000 spec house (a few years before that was a govt designated thing), in six months mostly all by my lonely self.
Remembrance Day 1981, we dragged the futon in from the van, dropped it on the floor, set up the matrix quad surround sound system, and moved right on in along with our ancient rescue appliances and $50 Taiwan poorly cast wood burner.
Almost two years net, well spent.
Does anybody even go there anymore?
@#84 Cdn Mom
Sorry for your crappy medical experience.
Been there done that.
Its a flu vaxx to possibly stop a pandemic.
Not a conspiracy.
But dont let the unsubstantiated internet rumors’ get in the way of a world renowned, Oxford University Professors’ vaccine.
As some one commented.
There were no flu’s in BC last Winter.
Masks, gloves, isolation…..what a coincidence.
But try telling that to the paranoid conspiracy theorists that live on the internet.
Yo Floppie!
Survive the first day?
@#92 Devils advocate
‘If you have a Canadian dollar coin from 1965, the melt value is $20 (CAD) today.”
+++
Weren’t the Canuck coins from the 60’s almost pure silver?
A “Silver Dollar” would be worth $20 because of its metal value….not inflation.
#90 Paul on 05.25.21 at 7:47 pm
Wtf. B.C records 18 cases of the flu this year down from annual 5,500 between 2015 and 2019.
Social distance, lockdowns & masks. What other outcome would there be? – Garth
————-
The masks are great.
No allergies this spring.
This winter I will continue to wear them in crowds.
Good protection from the coughs and sneezes of the great unwashed.
Also, no more handshakes.
Bowing is the Asian way.
Gotta go with the flow.
#97 rknusa on 05.25.21 at 9:01 pm
made an offer on a house today up in Canada
85K above asking
not good enough 5 other offers
when is this gong stop
make it stop
——————
It will stop when people like you will stop paying crazy prices.
Economy booming? Sure – give everyone boatloads of cash to stay at home and buy things on Amazon.
This is not sustainable.
And once again- they cannot raise rates!
#95 Trojan House on 05.25.21 at 8:52 pm
“Social distance, lockdowns & masks. What other outcome would there be? – Garth”
Wow! If we had known it was just that easy to eradicate the flu…
…
It only cost $500B and counting!
I received my first dose of the COVID vaccine in late March. Will receive my second dose in the first week of June.
Go Baby Go.
82 Tudval – Look at your investments for the following letters:
RBC
TD
BMO
CIBC
BNS
Finding one or more in any combination can be very soothing…..
#100 crowdedelevatorfartz on 05.25.21 at 9:11 pm
@#84 Cdn Mom
Sorry for your crappy medical experience.
Been there done that.
Its a flu vaxx to possibly stop a pandemic.
Not a conspiracy.
But dont let the unsubstantiated internet rumors’ get in the way of a world renowned, Oxford University Professors’ vaccine.
As some one commented.
There were no flu’s in BC last Winter.
Masks, gloves, isolation…..what a coincidence.
But try telling that to the paranoid conspiracy theorists that live on the internet.
…………………………..
At what point did I say it was a conspiracy? I HAVE HAD THE VIRUS AND DON’T NEED A VACCINE. What part of that is not being received.
I do not trust healthcare to adequately respond to any medical need I may have, period, never mind a vaccine I don’t need. My kids received all recommended vaccines at the recommended ages.
Stop assuming everyone is getting their info from FB (don’t use) or woowoo websites. I read medical journals, have read up on viruses and anti-virals since SARS, have several books on the Spanish Flu pandemic. In another life I would have pursued an education in microbiology, as I find viruses, bacteria, and parasites fascinating.
#93 Doug t on 05.25.21 at 8:11 pm
…their naive idiots…
—
Whose naive idiots :-)? God I love it when that happens ol’ wise one…
—
#99 Wrk.dover on 05.25.21 at 9:10 pm
Does anybody even go there anymore?
—
I would. But I followed my career instead of a lifestyle first. It’s easier to take your path in places that are cheaper (i.e. not SW BC). Southern coast of Oregon comes to mind. I didn’t mean to take away from all that you have done to get you where you are.
As Garth has stated the banks are about to report and as we are about to learn, in good times and bad times the banks always seem to miraculously make money.
Maybe the table is too far slanted in their direction.
In bad times they make a billion per Q. In good times, it’s billions.
#99 Wrk.dover on 05.25.21 at 9:10 pm
#6 SoggyShorts on 05.25.21 at 2:07 pm
Wrk.dover, I’d argue that your life’s trajectory is less and less available.
————
Anybody can still achieve $100/mo CPP!
Admittedly, during the 23% LOC year, I had a five ton truck load of building supplies dropped on our re-cleared abandoned land purchase, and erected my 900′ R-2000 spec house (a few years before that was a govt designated thing), in six months mostly all by my lonely self.
Remembrance Day 1981, we dragged the futon in from the van, dropped it on the floor, set up the matrix quad surround sound system, and moved right on in along with our ancient rescue appliances and $50 Taiwan poorly cast wood burner.
Almost two years net, well spent.
Does anybody even go there anymore?
———-
Sure. I’ve been grunt labour on a couple of relatives’ houses.
Woodmizer milling, season for a year and build away. It’s always fun to visit a house you’ve had a hand in to revisit your mistakes. We built my aunt and uncle a small retirement home on the farm and mistakenly made the master bedroom 8’x14′ instead of 14’x14′. Every time we’d visit, it was great fun to laugh at their weirdly imperfect room.
3 of my cousin’s teens live there now.
Total house cost? Maybe $15k 25 years ago with mostly volunteer labour.
Some salty language
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVwABARMV5o
@#1255
“And once again- they cannot raise rates!”
+++
Its not up to the bank of Canada.
The green headed monster called “Inflation” will eat all free spending govts with socialist leanings….
$5 loaf of bread?
$10 loaf of bread?
Moo hoo haa haaa haaaaaa.
Silly Millennial Hu-man…..get ready for higher interest rates…that will eat YOU alive…..
Moo hoo haa haaa haaaaaaa.
@#103 Ponzies Prehensile Pumping
“Also, no more handshakes.
Bowing is the Asian way.”
++++
Riiiiiiight.
I prefer a nod or…the “elbow tap”.
But stick with…. pulling shared communal chopsticks out of warm glasses of water in restaurants……..
#102 crowdedelevatorfartz on 05.25.21 at 9:14 pm
@#92 Devils advocate
‘If you have a Canadian dollar coin from 1965, the melt value is $20 (CAD) today.”
+++
Weren’t the Canuck coins from the 60’s almost pure silver?
A “Silver Dollar” would be worth $20 because of its metal value….not inflation.
—————————————
Point would be that $1 in 1965 is worth $20 today. Inflation drives both numbers, the value of money and the value of silver.
They stopped making coins out of silver because it was getting too darn expensive. That is also why they canned the penny. Yup, even copper is too expensive to be money. The nickel will probably go soon too.
Something similar happened to the Romans, but not having paper money they took the gold and silver out of money by re-smelting it with higher and higher amounts of copper. Once they had reached the end of that things basically fell apart, as they could no longer pay their mercenary armies, or should I say the armies wouldn’t take the copper in payment.
Anyway, my point was not to write a history of numismatics, but simply to point out that it makes no sense to compare minimum wages in one era, like the 1960’s, with another era, like today, without adjusting for inflation.
Heck in 1968 you could get a brand new convertible Mustang for less than $4,000. Today the tires cost that. And if you have a fully restored 1968 Mustang and the numbers match, well, it is worth way more than 10 times more than what it sold for new. That’s your inflation right there.
DELETED (Anti-vax)
Norman is adorable.
#92 Devil’s Advocate on 05.25.21 at 8:08 pm
#146 crowdedelevatorfartz on 05.25.21 at 1:16 pm
@#143 Phylis
I couldnt open the link but I googled Historical Minimum wage in Canada and up it came
Nova Scotia Min wage 1965 was $0.90 Hr
Min wage in 1970 was $1.05 Hr
Boomers had it so easy.
——————————–
If you have a Canadian dollar coin from 1965, the melt value is $20 (CAD) today.
—————————————————————-
At that rate minimum wage is going to be $170/hr in 2070.
Interesting excerpt from The Economist” May 21:
“Rich countries over-ordered because they did not know which vaccines would work. Britain has ordered more than nine doses for each adult, Canada more than
13. These will be urgently needed elsewhere. It is wrong to put teenagers, who have a minuscule risk of dying from covid-19, before the elderly and health-care workers in poor countries.”
> #18 Doug t
Sadly “normal” isn’t great
I was thinking the same thing yesterday.
Maybe i am just a scrooge, but I find that people spend money on all sorts of silly things.
I can’t believe that society does not even mention the gig economy as the being the biggest contributor to pollution.
Its the 21st century version of slavery, having some dude/tte going to the Tim’s to pick up your double-double and drive it to your home…. really????
#39 Wrk.dover on 05.25.21 at 3:45 pm
#6 SoggyShorts on 05.25.21 at 2:07 pm
ownership only makes sense if you plan to be in the same place doing the same things for (what seems to me) a very long time.
That just isn’t the lifestyle we’re looking for.
__________________________________________
The lifestyle I looked for at your age was one with the absolute minimum commute and work for the man tie up of my time, for ever.
….
But yeah, I do the same daily eat, create things, shower, happy hour(s), sleep soundly, routine over and over, so there is that boredom you eschew, even with the 25% of net travel budget.
*******************
I completely agree with the “shortest commute” part: I once moved apartments mostly to shave 10&15 minutes off of our morning drives (down to 5&10 each)
But what do you mean by “at your age” and what’s yours now?
I’m 41 and retired just waiting for post-covid where significantly more than 25% of my net will be spent on travel.
The plan was to be doing the euro-rail pass thing for a few months this summer on the 20th anniversary of the last time I did it. Would be nice to see what it’s like when I’m not backpacking and broke-AF.
Don’t get me wrong, I can get comfortable in a routine (wake, walk, game, pints, repeat) but even just under a year of doing so (with pints not allowed for half of it) has already got me feeling like the routine is a rut.
#20 Kato on 05.25.21 at 2:47 pm
#6 SoggyShorts on 05.25.21 at 2:07
I disagree with Leasing a car, at least in my circumstances. I put on too many miles and still probably will work for another 20 years. Even when I replace my 5 year old car in 5-10 years, it will be with a 5-10 year old car bought with cash. Instead of 20 years of lease payments, I will change oil, rotate tires, and keep my CAA payed up (haven’t used it in years, though). Individual circumstances dictate.
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Yeah, that’s fair. I’ve only ever owned cheap old POSs when much younger and very new work trucks, so I figured the combination of shiny + no commitment would be perfect.
TBH my last 2 vehicles I was stuck on a loop of New(for work) + write off in a T-bone(not at fault) replace with new, repeat.
So it felt like I was leasing.
Now that I’m retired though? I’m pretty confident that I’ll never own or lease anything with 4 wheels again.
Just 2 wheels or Uber from here on out if I can help it.
If you do need your own ride with windows though, pre-owned + mechanical desire/skills/tools is likely the most economical, but I’ve never been into any of those things. YMMV
#122 SoggyShorts on 05.26.21 at 3:04 am
But what do you mean by “at your age” and what’s yours now?
I’m 41 and retired just waiting for post-covid where significantly more than 25% of my net will be spent on travel.
_______________________________________
I’m on the approach of 68.
When I was 35, my three years older wife took her 1st year long, half of which was travel, deferred salary leave, which was my downfall. I never went back to self employed earning after that. She repeated the deferred leaves every fourth year until she bailed from work, at 55.
Travel is overrated except for the food in my lifelong experience with it.
Bottom line though, living in the far away boonies affords freedom from expenses and herd think influences, thus work too.
#76 Truefacts
It would appear that big media players such as Google, Disney, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Comcast, Viacom, Sony, AT&T, Fox, Facebook, Time Warner etc. have all hitched their wagons to some form of subscription based or advertising based formula. The current stock prices are not based on actual P/E but on a belief that future revenues of all media companies will increase to reflect new subscriptions or advertising revenues.
At some point investors will realize that consumers and advertisers have limited income to purchase services or ads and that the many of the projected increases in earnings for many media based companies will not materialize.
Has the Dot.com bubble taught us nothing.
Enthusiasm over future prospects must be tempered by a peek a reality. There are only so many dollars that can be gleaned from a specific source and when you examine the current P/E ratios of nearly every media based company the future income of potential customers or advertisers would have to triple to justify current P/E levels.
Not every player can be a winner. Exercise caution.
So buy broad-based and diversified ETFs. Shorter answer. – Garth
I woke up before 9:00AM today.
Gonna drive the wife to the pharmacy for her 2nd dose.
Yipee.
The Dharma Bums are joining the fully vaxed set. Got both of mine in January and February,
U Can’t touch this, dee dee dee dee!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5X5zh00rdg
#31 Danny Greene
He is making $16.75 an hour and gets an extra 5 sick days paid a year plus dental benefits, 5% vacation pay per year.
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So, in other words, he’s on his way, he’s making it.
The BIG TIME!
Oooooooh yeahhhhhhh!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDPAIvtK8PA
Garth
I get the principle behind diversified ETFs but have noticed that the price gains inside many ETFs in 2020 and 2021 were driven by media based companies whose current P/E ratios seem to be based on anticipated expansion of subscription or advertising revenues.
If the value of several major media based companies was to decline the value of ETFs containing these companies might also decline due to the current weighting within the ETF. I would be more comfortable if the earnings generated by many high profile ETFs were not so heavily influenced by the current high flyers.
When the values of many ETFs are based on the projected earnings of a few media based companies the balance and diversity sought by investors may become have become compromised.
So buy better ETFs. One holding the S&P 500 is a good choice. – Garth
@#109 Cdn Mom
“I do not trust healthcare to adequately respond to any medical need I may have, period, never mind a vaccine I don’t need.”
+++++
So you dont believe in healthcare, Oxford trained virologists or read internet conspiracy theories….. and you still refuse a vaccine that hundreds and hundreds of millions or people have accepted with no ill effects because you, yourself have it all figured out.
Okaaaayyyyy.
Paranoia; Unjustified suspicion and mistrust of others.
@#116 DA
“They stopped making coins out of silver because it was getting too darn expensive. That is also why they canned the penny.”
+++
The penny wasn’t eliminated because it was too expensive to make ( 2 cents cost vs its 1 cent value).
Inflation made a penny irrelevant.
What can you buy with a penny?
vs 1960’s a penny bought me two candies.
130 Fartz
“….a penny bought me two candies.”
Improvised explosive device??
#120 Don Guillermo on 05.26.21 at 1:21 am
Interesting excerpt from The Economist” May 21:
“Rich countries over-ordered because they did not know which vaccines would work. Britain has ordered more than nine doses for each adult, Canada more than
13. These will be urgently needed elsewhere. It is wrong to put teenagers, who have a minuscule risk of dying from covid-19, before the elderly and health-care workers in poor countries.”
——————-
Another blog dog, who cites The Economist.
You and CEF should form the “Greater Fool Economist Club”.
And educate us mere mortals.
#126 Dharma Bum on 05.26.21 at 7:45 am
I woke up before 9:00AM today.
Gonna drive the wife to the pharmacy for her 2nd dose.
Yipee.
The Dharma Bums are joining the fully vaxed set. Got both of mine in January and February,
————————-
That proves that in Canada even bums can get the Royal treatment.
#132 Ponzius Pilatus on 05.26.21 at 10:50 am
#120 Don Guillermo on 05.26.21 at 1:21 am
Interesting excerpt from The Economist” May 21:
“Rich countries over-ordered because they did not know which vaccines would work. Britain has ordered more than nine doses for each adult, Canada more than
13. These will be urgently needed elsewhere. It is wrong to put teenagers, who have a minuscule risk of dying from covid-19, before the elderly and health-care workers in poor countries.”
——————-
Another blog dog, who cites The Economist.
You and CEF should form the “Greater Fool Economist Club”.
And educate us mere mortals
***************************************
Do you hate the Magazine or the message? If you don’t hate the magazine maybe you mere mortals should read it sometime.
#130 crowdedelevatorfartz
Inflation made a penny irrelevant. What can you buy with a penny? vs 1960’s a penny bought me two candies.
——————————
In 1960, I could buy a “Wagon Wheel” for a nickel. It was a huge, chocolate covered wafer with marshmallow center. The best junk food deal available at the corner store.
In 1993, I was in Taiwan where they have no decimal in their currency. There’s only “New Taiwan Dollars” which were then worth about 5 cents Canadian.
I used to convert to Canadian by halving, then dividing by ten. Thus, a large bottle of apple juice that cost $50 NT was $2.50 CD. In Taiwan, a dollar is a dollar is a dollar. I liked that system.
The next thing to be inflated away in Canada is the nickel. I think it will be a while yet, though. In Vancouver parking meters won’t take them any more. (Actually they do take them but you get zero time. Tells you something)
#33 MYOB on 05.25.21 at 3:26 pm wrote:
It is rude to ask a woman her age …….. blah blah …
It is NOT rude to ask if someone has been vaccinated?
It is not rude to ask any of those questions if you don’t ask the question and then your life is ruined or destroyed because the woman was too young or the person gave you Covid. Or the person was a religious extremist, or the person was misrepresenting their status and you are left without recourse because you didn’t ask the question.
When being fully vaccinated is a requirement to travel on airplanes of course they are going to ask the question whether you think it is rude or not.
If you feel it is rude to ask whether you are vaccinated or not then you always have the option not to put yourself into a situation where it is a requirement of the person providing you with goods or services to ask and then deny you goods or services if you are not vaccinated. (AKA stay home and don’t bother people)
@#132 Ponzies platitudes
“You and CEF should form the “Greater Fool Economist Club”.
And educate us mere mortals.”
++++
Alas I don’t believe your ego would tolerate the educational experience.
You could save yourself some time ( and your bruised ego) and go straight to the source and get a 6 month subscription for mere pennies on the dollar……
#109 Cdn Mom on 05.25.21 at 10:29 pm
“I HAVE HAD THE VIRUS AND DON’T NEED A VACCINE.”
“I read medical journals, have read up on viruses and anti-virals since SARS”
—
Whoa boy. You may want to consult your journals and ponder why any and all public health experts (i.e. not you) ask everyone to get vaccinated including those who have been infected.
In my opinion, you sound like the kind of person who relishes or even clamors for “illness” so you can be indignant when western medicine doesn’t cure the phantasmagoric plagues you suffer from.
#130 crowdedelevatorfartz on 05.26.21 at 10:00 am
#116 DA
Only good thing Harper did was can the penny. Whenever I get pennies in my change in the US I want to shout “what’s wrong with you people!!!?”. The dollar bills are quaintly less anmoying.
@#135 Damfino
” In Vancouver parking meters won’t take them any more. (Actually they do take them but you get zero time. Tells you something)”
++++
A friend of mine used to travel to England quite extensively.
He would bring back bags of 25 pence coins….. they were the same size AND weight as loonies.
He took great glee in stuffing 25 pence coins in and getting a dollars worth of parking.
Another friend worked for City of Van Collections and he used to bitch about the A**hole that was filling their meters with foreign currency that they would have to sift out. ( worthless).
I once got them together at a pub and took great glee in introducing “Scammer guy” to “Meter guy”.
We all had a good laugh.
As far as I know….he’s still pumping Pences into meters.
My my my
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-covid-disaster-be-laid-bare-by-pm-johnsons-ex-chief-adviser-2021-05-25/
Perhaps Canada should have public testimony like this to find out how badly our “leaders” have dropped the Covid ball…..
Wow, so much hostility towards people who aren’t getting the vaccine, even if they’re not anti-vaxxers.
This is a good example. Unfortunately, Mr. Fartz has failed on both attempts at ration argument, as the first comment is a strawman argument, and the second, a simple ad hominem attack. Nice.
Keep that up Fartz, you’re providing no adversary i the debate to help your side (whatever side that is.)
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#129 crowdedelevatorfartz on 05.26.21 at 8:44 am
@#109 Cdn Mom
“I do not trust healthcare to adequately respond to any medical need I may have, period, never mind a vaccine I don’t need.”
+++++
So you dont believe in healthcare, Oxford trained virologists or read internet conspiracy theories….. and you still refuse a vaccine that hundreds and hundreds of millions or people have accepted with no ill effects because you, yourself have it all figured out.
Okaaaayyyyy.
Paranoia; Unjustified suspicion and mistrust of others.
Garth,
You’ll have to excuse my ignorance here. You say that bank earnings are generally a leading indicator for how the market as a whole is doing. Can you elaborate on that?
I see this as a different situation. Banks are making record earnings because everyone end their brother is indebted up to their eyeballs. At what point will this create a downturn in spending? Will it be in the fall when all this “pent up” demand is gone? I guess further indebtedness does equate to money being spent. But how could this ever end well? Won’t there inevitably be a giant lull at some point when the party is over?
I am one of the lucky ones who has a DB pension and it increases about 1-2% per year. Can I consider this the 40% fixed portion of my portfolio and remain 100% invested in etfs. That is what I am currently doing. The etfs I own are about 50US%/30CDN%/20INTL%. I am a home owner and debt/mortgage-free. What do your readers think? Should I sell my home (I really like my home)? Should I do something different? Am I missing the boat on things like Bitcoin or FANG stocks? Help!