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Kung-Flu Pander
Truth: COVID-19 did originate in China.
More Truth: Chinese state officials, particularly when the epidemic first broke out, were not just irresponsible but downright criminal in how they compelled doctors and scientists to suppress their findings. Literally to destroy positive test samples. This was back in December.
A transparent state could have fought this outbreak far more responsibly and there would only be a fraction of the deaths worldwide.
Ultimate Truth: President Trump only began referring to it as the “Chinese Virus” once he realized his ego alone could not contain it. Once he realized it wasn’t actually going to be “15 going down to 1, going to zero” he opted to go racist on it. Pass the blame, that’s his game.
An Elephant Never Regrets
In Yunan province, China, a group of elephants overtake a vineyard and get themselves intoxicated on corn wine. Who knew that elephants threw bachelorette parties?
The size of the mammal never matters. At some point it’s better to just sleep it off.
Maybe American Exceptionalism Is The Disease And COVID-19 Is The Cure?
Thought a lot about this yesterday and I was going to torture you with 4,000 or so words on it, but then it struck me that maybe we can go more succinct.
Look around at America circa 2020. The rules no longer apply to the wealthy. It’s more advantageous to be ignorant than educated. To be obnoxious than kind. Strength and cruelty trumps kindness. Self-absorption and sybarites rule.
Far too much of America are addicted to sports. It’s not a pastime. It’s an addiction. Wealth is virtue, no matter how it is obtained. Smart young people are going into finance and “wealth management” as opposed to medicine or any type of public service. “I’m a get mine” is the national mantra.
And then COVID-19 strikes. And a person such as Dr. Tony Fauci emerges as a national hero. And Americans, no longer able to satisfy their sports addiction daily, hopefully will find new outlets for their interests and energy. And people are beginning to realize that having enough food, some shelter, and of course some toilet paper are really all you need. Besides your health.
On St. Patrick’s Day evening TCM aired the 1952 classic The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. A couple of things struck me about that film: 1) What a striking and strong couple. That ginger lass was every bit the foil for Wayne, who frankly never looked more handsome and was never better-dressed in any film. You got the feeling watching this film that they genuinely got along off-screen. O’Hara, a striking Irish beauty, could hang with the boys. 2) They have everything they could ever want in the film, and yet they live in a two-room cottage. It has a bedroom and a main room with a hearth. And they’re completely satisfied 3) The reason for No. 2 is that their village is a true community, with friends and family who bicker and keep secrets and drink together and laugh. It’s a place you not only want to visit, but that you want to be a part of. It’s something that we as Americans have forgotten in our pursuit of a bigger time-share and a faster car: nothing can substitute for community, be it through family or friends or both.
Will COVID-19 change us? I hope so. I’ve not been much of a fan of America the past few years. I used to be.
Waerner A Winner
As they say at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, “There’s no place like Nome!” Norwegian Thomas Waerner crossed the finish line (as opposed to the Finnish line, but Norway’s not even on the border of Finland so that joke does not work) in 9 days, 10 hours, 37 minutes and 47 seconds. It’s about 1,000 miles. The closest trailing musher was a full five hours behind him.
In his post-race comments, Waerner was quick to praise his two lead sled dogs, Bark and K2. “He’s the one just charging through everything,” Waerner said of Bark. “It doesn’t matter what comes, he will just go through it, storms or whatever.”
Every dog has his day.
Waerner’s next challenge? How to get back home to Norway.
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
You probably have heard the Crosby, Stills & Nash tune “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” A classic. You may even know that Stephen Stills wrote it about his girlfriend, musician and actress Judy Collins (sweet Judy blue eyes). They’d been dating for two years and when she was back in New York City doing a play she met and fell in love with Stacy Keach, which precipitated their breakup.
Anyway, I’ve always loved the song and couldn’t believe when I looked it up that it never rose higher than No. 21 on the charts when it was released in 1969. Then again, 1969 was a stupendously strong year for music.
I invite you to listen to the song again. But really listen to it. The lyrics. It’s the words of a totally heartbroken dude who is almost pleading with his girl not to break up with him because he’s still that crazy about her. It’s not an angry song. He’s still so in love with her.
Stills actually played the song for Collins when they were recording it for the album. In Collins’ words: “[Stephen] came to where I was singing one night on the West Coast and brought his guitar to the hotel and he sang me “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” the whole song.“
He was still pleading with her, even in that moment, I suppose.
I love that photo of the 2 elephants “sleeping it off”. Notice how they sleep with at least one leg bent at the knee? That seals it – I’m part “elephant”! 🙂
“Raise the Woof” made me laugh. You may have used it before when writing about the Iditarod but it never gets old.
Maureen O’Hara adored Wayne & they were lifelong friends. I don’t believe it was ever romantic just platonic. They starred in several movies together.
And true, America may have forgotten or just ignores the value of “community” but just remember, Salem in the late 17th century was a ” strong community” & that didn’t work out so well.. One of my professors in grad school was researching the Salem of that time & was convinced that the witch hysteria was started by poisoning from rye grain – makes one have hallucinations, sickness, etc. Since this was a very strict religious community with belief in the devil & witches as the ultimate evil, it makes sense these beliefs were part of their hallucinations. And can we agree that THAT “community” did NOT handle their crisis well at all.
I do agree with your sentiments about modern American life. Which I believe has been adversely affected by the corrupting & corroding influence of technology, too fast too soon. However, the rules have almost never applied to the wealthy. Eventually, some cataclysm occurs in a society (war, environmental such as hurricanes, earthquakes, etc, disease, such as the plague, COVID-19, where the wealthy temporarily lose their special privileges & at times are even targeted but pretty much thru history in almost any society or under any form of government, the wealthy (whatever is considered wealth in their culture) live damn charmed lives compared to the rest of us. They just hope they aren’t the unlucky few that live at a time of total revolution where they become the targets.
I saw your comment from yesterday & I’m thrilled you are making money & reversing that loss! Way to go, jdubs! I appreciate the advice but I’ll probably just keep nibbling till my allotted investment cash runs out. I buy for the long term, meaning I only put money in companies that I think will be there for decades not just years. And you’d laugh at the size of my purchases! Even before this, I usually opened a position with $1000 & then added in buys between $500-$900. Now, it’s even smaller, partly due to the craziness & partly due to no more commissions (whoo-hoo!). My biggest purchase of the last 3 weeks was yesterday – 10 shares of DIS at $82. Among my few remaining & waiting limit orders is one for 10 more shares of DIS at $75 & I may adjust it down again if the market keeps crashing. I have been able to buy some shares of stocks I wanted for more than a year but believed had gotten too expensive : TWLO, GH, VRTX, CRSP, MDB & NEE. I hope to add to all of them eventually but will have to rank which ones I want most of all since money is limited.
And the way things are going, it looks like any Emergency funds must be kept for “true emergencies” such as possibly not working for a time. I had planned to finally get a new roof this year for my 24 year old house but I’m now going to delay that till next year. (Fingers crossed!).
Anyhoo, I don’t think you were much of s Star Trek fan growing up but I’m more ‘convinced’ than ever that creator Rodenberry was either a time traveler or could see into the future! The Vulcan salutation sounds like the perfect “sign-off” during these times & I’m going to start using it : LIVE LONG & PROSPER, jdubs! 🙂
With stocks dropping, I really like SHOP (Shopify) at the moment. They have $2.4 billion of cash on hand and have no debt. They can sustain a recession and still have plenty of juice left in the tank when the economy starts to improve.
* I am not a financial advisor. I do not have a yacht. I shop at Old Navy for $6 t-shirts.
I really like SHOP too! In fact, it’s the stock I have lusted for the most for over a year! I’ve had it on my watchlist for about 2 years & almost the very day early last year that I finally decided I wanted to buy, it starting going up, up, UP! I kept waiting for a “dip” but it never really happened. I mentally increased my target price but the dang thing just kept going up. I went as high as $275 but the stock had gone into the $400s & I thought I’d neve get it. But earlier this week, I thought MAYBE it would actually get there. It had fallen to around $305 & I was finally ready to put in a limit order (I can only afford 3 shares right now but would like to eventually own 20 or so) but now it’s back up again. Sigh. You would think I would have learned from my experience with AAPL back in 2008-2009 when I kept waiting & waiting for it to get to “my price” & missing it because of my stubbornness but apparently you can’t teach an old dog (emphasis on the “old”) new tricks! Even when it’s the dog’s idea.
Anyhoo, good pick! 🙂
Susie B., I’ll thank you to keep your lusting to yourself.
Great pick, Jacob. Just in one day it went up 10%, thanks to you. I sold it there and will wait to jump back in. Send me an address and I’ll send you one (1) Old Navy t-shirt. Gimme a size, too, please.
This is a wild market and I’ve been told, in an angry letter from a stranger, to stop commenting on it on Twitter. So I will. On Twitter.
Good call, Jacob. I bought 6 shares on your rec that has already translated into 5 Old Navy T’s (tax not included). And Susie B, I sold all my TVIX at $855. I’m learning slowly.
One point on The Quiet Man and religion. They shrewdly juxtapose the Catholic and Protestant faiths so that there is a balance of power on the community. And neither priest nor bicar is overly pious. They both wanna are the fight and the vicar wagers on it. Great stuff. and the finish of that movie, she. All the characters sort of take a bow, it’s utterly charming.