Mu - The Newest Worry
The latest covid-19 worry is named Mu, a Greek letter representing the newest variant. The BA airline has developed a whole racket for making passengers get tested for the Greek letters despite their vaccination status, mainly because not many people were flying yesterday. Apart from us most of them we Chassidic Rabbis and their families returning to the US I think from Israel. They were all together in the back of the plane which we were in the mid-section where there were few passengers. We had to pay pounds 35 each for the mu test which was as simple as the one we got for free on our out flight: you poke a cotton stick up your nose and then put it in a test fluid which turns green if there is no evil Greek variant and red if one is found.
For what it is worth our home and my office are both in good shape. And our stocks are doing well too.
Today London and New York fell on the huge drop in new employment levels in August, with 235,000 jobs filled while the forecast was for 720,000 hires, a disappointingly sharp fall. The Down Jones suffered while gold and mines did better.
Our Kirkland Lake Gold KL mine stock rose 3.13%.
Mexichem MXCHF, which now makes drip feed systems and other agricultural lines, was top gainer, up 17.94%. It only trades occasionally.
Japan was buoyant, not just Eisai ESALY which is doing better than its US partner in Alzheimer treatment but also Japan funds like GSJY and JOF, up 2.88% and 1.73% resp., but also Takeda TAK and our SMFG financial firm. The main reason is a reaction to further crackdown against Chinese tech firms by Xi Jin Ping and his gang of 4000.
Ericsson ERIC today announced that it plans to stick to the production of 5G for China. Neutrality comes with the territory in Sweden. Emerging market fund FCO (Aberdeen Global Income Fund) also rose sharply along with new holding Deere bought 9 days ago in London.
Computer Modelling CMDXF of Canada rose despite its target price being lowered by the Bay Street boys.
BCE and Scotia bank BNS are upwardly mobile.
Dr. Reddy's RDY in India gained 7.16%, the best percentage gain, an Abhimanyu pick. UUUU gained 0.99%.
Many readers griped in notes and emails I only found when I got back into the office here. No, I am not dead. No, I am not running a scam. The Mexican hat dancers were asked to send to my list the ...
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Great, that's all we need to start off the new year. Yet another Covid variant.
Glad your stocks are doing well, and it is good to see your words again!. Yes, the new varient (Mutation?) of this evik virus is indeed causing all sorts of problems.
As for the shortfall in hiring, I wonder just WHO makes the sunshine predictions and just what is the basis for them. It seems more like a typical CEO spouting off the words that investors love to hear, even as reality is a bit different than that.
And I do remember those back of the plane gatherings where a dozen or so engineers who had been at the CPC-Tarrytown GM plant would all be returning to Detroit metro from LaGuiardia. Always qwell behaved but never quiet. I was contract help and so not as much part of the crowd. Good Times back then.
Yes, with Delta surging, and new variants continuing to pop up, it's no wonder fewer people are going back to work than expected. Especially since the restaurant and travel industries were fueling the recent hiring spree. But now, with Covid infections growing rapidly, those will be the first industries to suffer.
I'm actually very surpised all the emergency stimulus packages have ended. Without unemployment being extended, I expect some very hard times will soon follow.
The airline was being responsible and taking proper precuations. Even with two shots, the vaccines only provide 39% efficacy against infections. However, 95% of those cases won't be serious and most will be asymptomatic. So you'll live, but you'll still be congtagious and could infect others.
I for one am all for being tested often. It's too easy to be sick and not know it. And I would just feel horrible if I infected others as a result, some of whom may be high risk!