Search found 2552 matches

by Thegipper
13 Mar 2021 16:21
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: Canada vs. US stock returns (minimizing regret for TFSA)
Replies: 44
Views: 3505

Re: Canada vs. US stock returns (minimizing regret for TFSA)

In this article, Justin Bender indicates 20 to 30% may be reasonable for Canadian exposure. I think this is total nonsense and will never read anything from him again. Overweighting Canada has cost me hundreds of thousands of $'s the last decade, complete disaster during a raging bull market but to each their own I guess https://www.canadianportfoliomanagerblog.com/home-bias-in-the-vanguard-asset-allocation-etfs/ From the link above, if not allowed please delete, mods) Behaviour Benefits Fifth and finally, we should consider our own behavioural biases – especially recency bias, or our tendency to assume recent performance is going to last forever. When I started at PWL Capital over a decade ago, investors hated U.S. stocks. I would hear th...
by Thegipper
13 Mar 2021 16:04
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: [Will you take a COVID-19 vaccine? When do you expect it to happen?]
Replies: 1962
Views: 69141

Re: [Will you take a COVID-19 vaccine? When do you expect it to happen?]

If the seniors, the vulnerable and front line medical are vaccinated the threat for covid19 will be similar to the flu or the cold. There was an Ottawa doctor on CBC this morning and he said with all the trials of the big four vaccines only one person needed hospitalization for covid. That is not perfect but in human terms its about as good as it gets.
by Thegipper
13 Mar 2021 09:27
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: [Will you take a COVID-19 vaccine? When do you expect it to happen?]
Replies: 1962
Views: 69141

Re: [Will you take a COVID-19 vaccine? When do you expect it to happen?]

Bylo Selhi wrote: 13 Mar 2021 09:08
OptsyEagle wrote: 13 Mar 2021 08:54I really don't think there is a big difference between any of these vaccines?
That's my conclusion from all the evidence that's coming out in the media. And it reinforces my contention that we need to get needles in arms ASAP starting with the oldest and working down. (Some exceptions for people with vulnerabilities, perhaps based on FP's Rx.)

Politicians and the general public need to understand that the search for perfect is both vain and the enemy of good enough.

KISS and just get the damn job done.
For once I am in agreement.
by Thegipper
12 Mar 2021 23:23
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology
Replies: 4257
Views: 152448

Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology

Looking ahead and hopefully to some sort of travel by next winter, I see the following for the EU. From the website ''Etias'': ''Last update: February 26th, 2021 _Now that vaccines are being approved and administered in several countries, the return to normality seems closer than it has ever been since the start of the pandemic. European Union leaders have now agreed on the importance of vaccine certificates to safely restart international travel. Leaders of the EU member states met on Thursday 25th February to discuss coronavirus-related issues. High on the agenda was the topic of COVID-19 vaccine passports for the EU and how they can be used to promote economic recovery. During the press conference which followed, German chancellor Angel...
by Thegipper
12 Mar 2021 18:25
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology
Replies: 4257
Views: 152448

Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology

With the first wave the peak was in May. May-be I am incorrect but I get the impression case counts are on the rise. I hope my impression is wrong.
by Thegipper
12 Mar 2021 12:56
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology
Replies: 4257
Views: 152448

Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology

Eclectic12 wrote: 12 Mar 2021 12:35
adrian2 wrote: 11 Mar 2021 20:42 ... Around a week ago, I heard a stat that stuck in my mind:
USA has vaccinated more people in that one day than Canada has vaccinated in total. :evil:
Sure ... but using similar logic, should Canadians celebrate an average of four persons per day killed in motor vehicle accidents versus the US at 102, just because it is lower?

Stats alone leave out lots of potentially pertinent factors.


Cheers
The stat that is important is the % of the population that has been vaccinated. At this stage the US has a much higher %.That is a stat that is hard to spin.
by Thegipper
11 Mar 2021 17:54
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology
Replies: 4257
Views: 152448

Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology

At 2 million doses per day it won't take long. The the two counties in my area are doing 50 plus .
by Thegipper
11 Mar 2021 16:15
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: [Will you take a COVID-19 vaccine? When do you expect it to happen?]
Replies: 1962
Views: 69141

Re: [Will you take a COVID-19 vaccine? When do you expect it to happen?]

Bylo Selhi wrote: 11 Mar 2021 15:31
NormR wrote: 11 Mar 2021 15:26Also, IIRC, it isn't generally a good idea to take ibuprofen regularly without a doc's advice.
The same applies to 81mg aspirin qd.

Meanwhile Trudeau’s science adviser preparing report on COVID-19 vaccine passports. The article also talks about what the EU and Israel are doing.
Making it a requirement for many events and activities will make those gatherings safer and is a big encouragement to get the young and the nay sayers vaccinated. Lets be clear the pandemic has not been a friend of traditional freedoms. when we have herd immunity it might be something different. The Pfizer/Israeli data on transmission is very positive .
by Thegipper
11 Mar 2021 10:35
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology
Replies: 4257
Views: 152448

Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology

To everyone that is worrying about all these precautions continuing simply due to the uncertainty. I will add that these issues are so large, but more importantly will be so obvious to us what the correct answer is. There is no doubt that by May, or earlier, we should probably fully understand how transmissive a vaccinated person, with any of the vaccines, in almost all dosage numbers and time frames apart, will be. We will probably have a pretty good idea whether extending the dose makes a person ill or not. My concern is that politicians and especially bureaucrats will do what they do, um, "best." This is compounded by cross border issues. An example: Suppose US CDC determines that dose 2 can be administered up to 3 months afte...
by Thegipper
11 Mar 2021 09:34
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology
Replies: 4257
Views: 152448

Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology

Some European countries have suspended Astrazenca vaccinations. There is some concern about blood clotting and deaths resulting from the clotting. I recall some concerns during the clinical trials .The US didn't accept the UK results. I believe Astrazenca is conducting trials in the US and they aren't at a stage that they can report. These trials also include larger samples of the over 55 population. Does this news cause anyone any concerns about taking the Astrazenca vaccine?
by Thegipper
11 Mar 2021 08:21
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology
Replies: 4257
Views: 152448

Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology

You painting a very dismal future. I'm saying that since we don't know yet if vaccinated people can spread C-19 to others, we can't know when/how travel restrictions will be eased and hopefully lifted. Another thought. 1. There are several approved vaccines. But most countries have approved only a few of them. There's a lot of variability among countries. Will a country that hasn't approved vaccine X accept incoming foreigners who have gotten vaccine X? 2. It hasn't been proven through scientific trials that getting dose 2 of P-B or Moderna more than 28 days after dose 1 is at least as effective as following the official 21-28 day regimen. Nevertheless Canadian provinces will give dose 2 as long as 4 months after dose 1. Assuming travelers...
by Thegipper
11 Mar 2021 08:07
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology
Replies: 4257
Views: 152448

Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology

The CEO of Pfizer was interviewed on CNBC this morning. He made a couple of points about their vaccine. He said he can confidentially say that their vaccine reduces asymptomatic covid by 94% . Not perfect but pretty darn good. So there is a very small risk of transmission. The second point is Israel had a high level of the South African variant and the data is showing it is effective against that mutant.
by Thegipper
10 Mar 2021 16:17
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology
Replies: 4257
Views: 152448

Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology

There have already been anecdotal evidence of vaccinated seniors giving Covid to their grandchildren. I think travel may be limited to vaccinated people and any others need to sign a release. Masks may remain mandatory. If those anecdotes prove to be true then what country is going to allow vaccinated foreigners to enter without continuing their existing protocols like testing, quarantine, masks, etc.? IOW vaccination alone won't result in resumption of routine international travel. (Vaccination may become a necessary condition but it may not be sufficient.) You painting a very dismal future. If vaccination means a strong level of protection or it in cases were it slips and people get covid but it isn't much worse then the cold or seasonal...
by Thegipper
10 Mar 2021 16:12
Forum: Financial News, Policy and Economics
Topic: How are Canadians going to pay for this stimulus?
Replies: 251
Views: 89157

Re: How are Canadians going to pay for this stimulus?

: I see it as a broader issue than just political. After all, there was broader support for the largesse among parliamentarians than just the gov't of the day. I see it as a combination of general incompetence throughout the government structure (civil service), inability to construct policy and programs to optimize bang for the buck, lack of leadership throughout key ministries, and political ideology. Who else would have sent PPE to the Chinese, been weeks or months behind the eight ball on pandemic restrictions, been unable to procure PPE and vaccination options on a time critical basis, doled out wads of money to corporate entities, paid people more to stay home than to continue working, throwing money at every group that made noise, di...
by Thegipper
10 Mar 2021 12:23
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: Preferreds
Replies: 2578
Views: 318269

Re: Preferreds

all sold all my perpetuals in the fall for an excellent return. I bought an Enbridge and Pembina reset in the summer . The ENB was bought for $11 and is close to $17 now. The same pattern for Pembina. The generous dividend was a bonus. I intend to hold them. The markets seem to be very concerned about higher and rising interest rates and that would seem to be good for resets. Anyways I like the yield so why sell?
by Thegipper
10 Mar 2021 12:03
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology
Replies: 4257
Views: 152448

Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology

The USA tracking system for vaccines permitted my vaccination to be put into the state data base and eventually with the CDC. This is important for verifying vaccinations. If I follow the Globe and Mail story Canada/provinces don't have this capacity. How will Canadians be able to verify their vaccination ? I note their international discussions about vaccine passports and I would think verification will be important in obtaining such a certificate.
by Thegipper
10 Mar 2021 11:39
Forum: Financial News, Policy and Economics
Topic: How are Canadians going to pay for this stimulus?
Replies: 251
Views: 89157

Re: How are Canadians going to pay for this stimulus?

Americans are asking the same stuff. A Senator from Nebraska said the 2 trillion dollar stimulus package is enough to buy the Canadian economy. Not totally correct but apparently our GDP is in the 2 trillion range.
by Thegipper
10 Mar 2021 07:57
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology
Replies: 4257
Views: 152448

Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology

Dr Scott Gottlieb expects USA supply to exceed demand in another month. His assessment is based on two assumptions. Number 1 younger people have a much lower risk profile so many they aren't that concerned about covid. Number 2 The summer season is approaching and the case count will be dropping to low levels . He believes an active information campaign will be needed to get younger people out to get their shot. I hope he is wrong.
by Thegipper
08 Mar 2021 18:22
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: [Will you take a COVID-19 vaccine? When do you expect it to happen?]
Replies: 1962
Views: 69141

Re: [Will you take a COVID-19 vaccine? When do you expect it to happen?]

My wife and I got our first shots today in Arizona (Pfizer). Incredibly organized. Was at State Farm Stadium where the Cardinals play. Actually in the parking lot didn’t have to get out of the car. Second shot is March 30. Feel relieved. Same in Texas. The U of Texas set appointments and said don't come early or late. A 2:00 appointment was 2:00. Same with DHR Health. The county public health was long lineups and confusion. We got there about 30 minutes early. No issue. I would guess they had about 24 lanes. Doing a shot every 3 minutes, 24/7. That’s over 10,000 per day and they have several of these facilities in Phoenix area. Quite impressive. The two top performers would do 6000 with each cycle. They were top notchers. Both used on line...
by Thegipper
08 Mar 2021 17:42
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: [Will you take a COVID-19 vaccine? When do you expect it to happen?]
Replies: 1962
Views: 69141

Re: [Will you take a COVID-19 vaccine? When do you expect it to happen?]

SQRT wrote: 08 Mar 2021 13:15 My wife and I got our first shots today in Arizona (Pfizer). Incredibly organized. Was at State Farm Stadium where the Cardinals play. Actually in the parking lot didn’t have to get out of the car. Second shot is March 30. Feel relieved.
Same in Texas. The U of Texas set appointments and said don't come early or late. A 2:00 appointment was 2:00. Same with DHR Health. The county public health was long lineups and confusion.
by Thegipper
08 Mar 2021 08:04
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: [Will you take a COVID-19 vaccine? When do you expect it to happen?]
Replies: 1962
Views: 69141

Re: [Will you take a COVID-19 vaccine? When do you expect it to happen?]

Indeed. I think it is time to stop wasting energy on arguing on prioritization on the who and why, and being judgemental on those setting the priorities, and instead help clear the path for fast and effective mass vaccination however it rolls out. Agree. Keep it simple in order to make it easier. Yes,yes . Trying to accommodate every group will only complicate the process. Work through the seniors by age and include people who have serious health conditions and front line health workers and professionals. The astrazeneca vaccine does cause some complications. Texas didn't centralize the rollout. They allowed counties to be in charge and allocated each county a weekly allotment . In conjunction they also selected 2 or3 hub providers for eac...
by Thegipper
07 Mar 2021 20:36
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology
Replies: 4257
Views: 152448

Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology

brucecohen wrote: 07 Mar 2021 20:22
Thegipper wrote: 07 Mar 2021 19:18 It would be great if we could find a great positive trend line for everyone.
Australia Total deaths: 909
New Zealand Total deaths: 26
South Korea Total deaths: 1,634
Taiwan Total deaths: 10

Their common denominator: control measures applied firmly and consistently.

Here, country by country, are trendlines for what seems to be all of the nations in the world.
I note that almost all the winners are Islands. Some of the others don't have to worry about a big influx of visitors and have primitive economies. We could start with Afganistan.
by Thegipper
07 Mar 2021 19:18
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology
Replies: 4257
Views: 152448

Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology

AltaRed wrote: 07 Mar 2021 19:11
Thegipper wrote: 07 Mar 2021 19:06 What is happening to their hospitalization and death rates ? once the high risk groups are protected is the case count that important? The trend is important as well. I suspect that the actual data doesn't match their outstanding record on vaccinations.
Maybe you might want to interpret this for us, or find a better google link?
This just makes it harder to get a handle on this stuff. It would be great if we could find a great positive trend line for everyone.
by Thegipper
07 Mar 2021 19:06
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology
Replies: 4257
Views: 152448

Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - stats and amateur epidemiology

Insomniac wrote: 07 Mar 2021 18:10 Even with an aggressive vaccination program, Israel is still getting about 3500 new cases per day.

Canada is getting about 3000 new cases per day with a population 4 times larger than Israel.

Seems like they are easing restrictions too soon.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
What is happening to their hospitalization and death rates ? once the high risk groups are protected is the case count that important? The trend is important as well. I suspect that the actual data doesn't match their outstanding record on vaccinations.
by Thegipper
07 Mar 2021 13:45
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: The Constitutionality of the new travel restrictions [COVID-19]
Replies: 290
Views: 10969

Re: The Constitutionality of the new travel restrictions [COVID-19]

On one of the USA Sunday morning news shows they interviewed a border official and he said at the current pace there would be more migration for 2021 than 2018,2019 and 2020 combined. The guy in charge of border area south of Tucson said they had 250k so far this year. I am between Brownsville and Mcallen . The local news has stories on this issue every day. The local officials are saying they are getting thousands and they don't have the resources to cope with it. It is the common belief that the cartels are behind this problem and they are exploiting desperate people. May-be they could request assistance from Canada and start busing them to Canada. This problem has gotten worse with the change in border controls under the new President an...