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sanshofox · 4 months

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At this point I am really wondering how the entertainment industry, especially gaming industry, is going to uphold/maintain themselves.

One layoff after another. How are people from that industry supposed to find a new job there when layoffs are happening everywhere? Do studios really think there’s longevity when they aren’t even willing to hire newcomers/juniors so there‘s adequate supply in the work force? Because look at how it’s currently going: investors want more and more money, the workload increases, but people are getting fired, leaving a smaller team to do said work, even distributing them for 2 or 3 projects at the same time, only to crash in a burnout or in later years go into retirement. Then who’s left? AI? Are you kidding me? As if games aren’t becoming more and more repetitive anyway, because of some „safe recipe for good numbers“ strategy. Creativity and the people behind it are suffering.

It’s been almost 2 years since I saw a junior 3D character artist offer. Ever since then it’s been a desert. And it’s not looking all too bright in other departments either. It’s now even a thing in job descriptions where they want you to have „AI abilities“. So as a junior or regular they want you to feed their machine, so in a few years they can fire you. The audacity.

Another audacity are those layoffs just to rehire people for a smaller price (can’t tell me otherwise. For me this is a tactic to put pressure on the work force to say yes to less money otherwise they will stay jobless). People that made projects what they are today, who are seniors and leads for a reason, out of a job just like that. Make it make sense (it doesn’t).

Studios like ubisoft now openly saying that they want to focus on AI, like assets completely made by AI to „save time and money“ and expand AI onto more fields. Shame on them.

The way creative industries like gaming finance themselves is also their biggest poison. And I only see a solution in that by regulating investors demands and upper positions sheaningans. They can’t have „absolute power“ anymore. It’s destructive and greedy and not realistic. Games can not be linearly successful. For the game design „recipe“ to improve it needs iteration just like when you work in a project for example and work on a design that needs to be iterated until it‘s improved or solid even. We see time and time again that „business/numbers people“ and creatives do not go hand in hand. We see an extreme imbalance.

I would predict that with less creative new input and letting mainly AI do the work consumers will be less and less entertained because everything seems to be and look the same. It will stagnate. And then crumble. And the industry needs to start like it did before. And that’s what I guess for the big companies.

With the layoffs happening and not enough job offers in return I could see that big talents get together to build their own studios now and we may get an era of new successful and growing studios happening that may even replace the current triple A studios one day in the future. They may even change the financing game. We saw successful games happening through platforms like kickstarter more often. So it might lead back to a „power to the people“ thing. Having an idea for a project and seeing if enough people agree and invest to see it happening. There’s room for improvement in that system. That’s all what it leads back to; in the end the consumers need to be satisfied to make it a creative and monetary success. BG3 and larian studios was a good example for that. It’s what made coral island grow and grow too. So there‘s potential.

Feel free to comment your theories. I really would like to see what others think about the current state of gaming studios and how it will or could develop.

#video games #gaming #rant #venting

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gurugirl · 2 years

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The House Maid Chapter 3

Summary: Daisy and Harry both work at the Archer House and don't quite see eye to eye when they first meet. Eventually, they can't resist one another and start a risky relationship that could have them both jobless. However, when jealousy and insecurities set in, things get ugly for the young lovers.

AN/Warning: I will have a * by the parts when smut is included. This warning list is comprehensive for all parts, not all contain smut or listed warnings. NSFW, smut, oral (male and female), 18+ only (as always), angst. I did a tiny bit of research on this time period (1915-1925 in the UK) and this is what resulted. If I get some historical stuff wrong it's because I'm not an expert on the genre/era (sorry).

Pairing: 1920s era House Maid Daisy x Groundskeeper Harry

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

When Daisy left the room leaving Harry standing by himself he felt smug about her response to him. She was cute, no doubt. He’d found her very adorable but he could tell immediately that she was a prude who tried to act tough but she was no match for him. He wanted to rile her up and it worked. He saw her licking her fingers like a kitten and couldn’t help himself but to tease her about it. He loved the way she blushed under his stare. He figured she was seasonal like him and he’d probably just have some fun with her. She was most likely a virgin with a stick up her ass, though. When he stepped close to her he could smell her natural scent and something like a powder and roses. He wondered if she could smell him.

He’d gotten up late after meeting up with his “friend” last night. Martha was tall and plump where it mattered. She loved getting railed by Harry and Harry loved her shrieks and how wet she’d get for him. Martha wasn’t cute like Daisy. Martha was kind of plain but she loved the attention Harry would give her. Pretty girls like Daisy, usually felt they were too good to have sex for fun so he rarely bothered with pretty girls. Pretty girls tended to be boring in bed (if you could get them to bed in the first place) and he bet Daisy was too. This morning after another vigorous round with Martha, finishing himself off in her mouth, he washed his hands, face, armpits, and crotch before barely making it out of his flat at the very moment he was meant to be at the Archer House.

He won’t lie and say that seeing Daisy kitten licking at her fingers and moaning at the taste didn’t give him something to think about later on – oh he’d be using that material tonight for sure. Daisy was gorgeous with pretty lips that would look even prettier around his big cock. But he had no time to think like that on his first day, now did he? He shrugged on the overalls, immediately noting how small they were. The hem only reached his mid-calf and to say his balls were being crushed and hampered would be an understatement. He’d remember to bring his own work trousers tomorrow. His manhood needed more space than most and these trousers weren’t close to being his size.

When everyone had gathered in the main room Missus Smith began her spiel about house rules, introducing everyone, and then explaining basic duties to him and the other new seasonal staff. When Daisy sauntered off she didn’t even give Harry another look. He was a bit taken aback that she was dismissed to continue her duties because it was then that he realized she wasn’t seasonal. She was part of regular staff at the Archer House. He’d already gotten one bit wrong about her so he was a little perturbed by that misjudgment. He was pretty good at pegging people typically. But he was still sure her virginity was intact and her sensitive demeanor was due to her prudeness.

Daisy continued her day as normal but her thoughts kept going back to Harry and how he’d called her kitten. He left nothing to the imagination with his blunt approach and she didn’t necessarily not like it, but it really did leave very little to the imagination as far as what he thought he was capable of. She doubted that he could live up to his talk. All bark and no bite as they say. She enjoyed having the upper hand and she knew that right now she did not have it. He caught her in a moment of weakness. She thought she’d been caught eating a cinnamon roll but it turned out to just be a series of unfortunate coincidence and so that was why she was so ruffled by him, it was definitely not because he’d squeezed at her thigh, of which she could still feel burning into her flesh, even through layers of her clothing his warm hand could be felt. She shook her head as she wringed the cloth of it’s cleaning solution onto the marble floor of the first floor powder room. She needed to get it together and stop thinking about him. He was not going to get the upper hand, nor would he get under her skin again.

At 2 in the afternoon all of the staff were called to the main room again to go over the new season’s schedule. Daisy’s usual schedule was that she’d work six days per week and get one day off each week. That one day off would depend on the weekly schedule and it varied from week to week. She’d arrive to the Archer House at 6:30 every morning and leave at 4 in the afternoon, with a break somewhere in between. Each planting season everyone’s schedules shifted slightly to accommodate new seasonal staff and longer daylight hours. Last planting season her schedule was exactly the same except she would come in at 6 and leave at 5, which she hardly minded as she still got a day off to herself.

Mister Johnathan came in with a bright smile and looked around the room as he introduced himself to the new staff. He then introduced permanent staff and when he got to Daisy he nodded at her after saying the name she should be addressed as (Missus Marvin) and he paused for a beat to watch her face as she smiled and bowed her head in confirmation and no one noticed the small exchange except Harry. He was hyper-sensitive to her and to that flush in her face that he’d been the one to give her just that morning. He watched Daisy’s face as Mister Johnathan continued with something or other and he couldn’t help but notice how she brightened a bit and then he noticed that Mister Johnathan kept glancing at Daisy. He was no stranger to this picture. It was of a man and a woman who had an attraction between them. Spoken or not, Harry couldn’t tell, but there was something there and it bothered him a bit. It gave him another thing to tease her about at least and perhaps get to the bottom of it if he teased her in just the right way.

Daisy noticed Harry’s gaze and the crease in his brow before she turned away. Did he note the exchange between herself and Johnathan? He couldn’t. He was just a buffoon, a seasonal worker who arrived late on his first day. As Mister Johnathan continued and listed off schedules Daisy dared to look over at Harry again and his eyes were still on her. She quickly lowered her gaze and noticed his trousers were much too small at the hem and far too tight in the crotch. Poor guy. That looked painful but it also looked… well, he appeared to be quite bulky where the pants were made for a man not quite as endowed as Harry looked. Maybe it was just an optical allusion with his manhood scrunched up into the fabric like that but… she gulped her spit down to moisten her throat and peeled her gaze away from his crotch as she felt her face heat up from embarrassment. She had just stared at his crotch for much too long and he’d seen it. She closed her eyes and looked down at her shoes just as Mister Johnathan spoke her name.

“Missus Marvin, your current schedule will remain as is except your one day off will now be set on Tuesdays rather than a floating day off, but just for the season of course. And if Missus Smith needs you for longer on any of your workdays you will adjust as needed.” He paused again to get Daisy’s confirmation, something she realized he hadn’t been doing with anyone else. She nodded and smiled at Mister Johnathan and then without thinking, without using her usually-very-useful brain she let her gaze fall onto Harry. He was smirking at her now and she scrunched her nose at him and looked away. Daisy did well to not look again in Harry’s direction for the rest of the meeting. She was ready to run back to her duties so she could stop staring at the devil himself.

Finally, after a bit of a schedule error between some staff everyone was dismissed back to their duties.

“Oh, Da… Missus Marvin, can I please have a word with you?” Mister Johnathan spoke. It was very odd to have him nearly call her by her Christian name. In fact, she doesn’t think he’d ever called her by her name before, not even in private. Not that she minded of course, but it was out of character and of course, no one but Harry noticed the little snafu. Harry trailed behind the other staff and looked over his shoulder at Mister Johnathan and Daisy as he rounded the corner to see her face once again and sure enough, there she was, bright and accepting of this Johnathan guy. Was he secretly courting her? There would be no way that could happen in any of the homes he’d served in. It’s out of the question for staff and household to fraternize in that way. Not that it didn’t happen but it’s very unlikely anything like that could end happily for either. Harry didn’t like that dynamic. One where a paid employee was being courted or pursued by her superior, by someone of the household. Daisy was naïve, he could tell it and it seemed that Johnathan was older and would easily take advantage of someone like Daisy. Anyone could see how beautiful Daisy was so he could understand any man finding feelings for her, hell, even Harry was starting to get protective, and he didn’t even know her. He just knew what he saw and he didn’t like this man taking advantage of pretty Daisy this way.

Mister Johnathan smiled kindly and even a bit shyly at Daisy as he spoke, “How do you feel about Tuesdays being your day off? Does this work for your free time?” He seemed truly curious about her preference which had never been brought up prior. Daisy was stunned that he even asked. There weren’t typically questions like this, but perhaps it was just because now she was regular staff and had been at the Archer House for nearly 2 years.

“Um, yes Mister Johnathan. It’s perfect. I’m happy to do anything the house needs. The Archers always treat me so well, and you, everyone is so kind. I’m just thankful for this opportunity.” She smiled up at him and noticed his red neck and the red tips of his ears. It was quite cute, his reaction to her. She knew she was blushing too.

“Good. Very well. Good, okay then! I hoped you would find having a set day off to be ideal. Sometimes it can be nice to be able to make plans in advance, you know? Having floating days off could be hard for planning your week, I just thought… well, I’m happy you are pleased.” He blinked his eyes and his lip quivered ever so slightly, from nerves Daisy could see. If he were not her boss or an Archer she would make certain he was satisfied in bed every night. She loved it when a man was at her mercy and just wanted to please her. Mister Johnathan seemed to only want that. God what she wouldn’t do to just have a little taste. But part of her wondered if he was even fun in bed at all. Most men like Johnathan were boring in bed but could be drawn out of their shell when someone like Daisy could show them what sex could be like with a girl who didn’t mind getting a little dirty.

“You’re too kind to me.” Daisy beamed at him and looked down before looking back into his eyes and continuing, “If I didn’t know any better…” she lowered her voice and moved in closer to Johnathan so only he could hear, “I’d say you are giving me special treatment. Am I your favorite?” She knew she shouldn’t have added that last question but she couldn’t help herself.

Johnathan coughed and straightened himself out as he looked around the room to be sure no one could hear before ducking down and whispering, “You are, my dear.” He stood back up and smiled down at her before walking away.

Daisy’s heart was pounding and the edge of her vision had gone a little fuzzy. Did he just admit it?! What was she to do with that information? They couldn’t be together, that much she knew. Maybe it could be a one time thing? She wouldn’t mind that but she was unsure about it all. Would he even make a move beyond just tiny gifts and small talk? She doubted.

At 4 o’clock Daisy rushed past the gates of the Archer House not daring to look amongst any of the staff in the garden for fear of making eye contact with Harry again. She needed a breather and tomorrow would be a good and easy Friday. She had Saturday off this week and then starting next week Tuesdays going forward. Tomorrow Lady Archer and Miss Archer would be home and she could get them set up for their weekend plans.

Harry watched as Daisy hastily made her way through the gates and onto the street. He wondered what neighborhood she lived in and how far she had to walk or if she lived nearby. Or maybe she had a boyfriend but he doubted it. He imagined her stopping to pick up food for herself and then going into her room for the night and reading a book as she fell asleep next to a flickering candle. He thought back to when he left the main room and saw Mister Johnathan and her speaking to one another. He wished he could have stayed a moment longer to glimpse at her expressions, but he had to work. He continued his task as he thought of the different scenarios of their conversation just as Mister Johnathan came up to him. Speak of the devil, huh?

“Harry, how are you getting along?” Johnathan stood above him with his hands clasped behind his back looking like a pompous ass.

Harry stood up and met Johnathan’s height but was far more broad than Johnathan, “I’m getting along well, thank you Mister Johnathan.” Harry smiled sweetly.

“Good then. Well, I wanted you to understand how we work around here. Staff is to be on time every day unless you have an emergency. Did you have an emergency that made you an hour late this morning, Harry?” Johnathan’s tone changed so quickly but it didn’t surprise Harry. He was used to men like Johnathan.

“Yes. I did in fact, Mister Johnathan. I apologize for not being on time but it was an emergency that led to my tardiness today.” Harry laughed to himself. He barely cared about lying but even if caught what would Johnathan do? They needed him for the labor and Harry was a good, hard worker, anyone could see it, even on his first day he worked more efficiently than any of the other seasonal garden staff.

“Oh? What was the emergency?” Johnathan crossed his arms over his body and raised his brows waiting for a response.

“It’s a bit personal but I suppose if you must know…” Harry leaned in and said lowly, “there was a woman in my bed needed me badly this morning. I swear I was on my way out the door and would have been on time but she was so needy today and how can I say no when I’ve got a naked women begging me to finish her off? Nearly impossible to walk away from that kind of emergency with balls intact, really. But don’t worry, I’ve told her we’re done and so I won’t be seeing her anymore. She won’t be causing anymore emergencies.” Harry smirked, his nostrils flaring a bit as he held in a chuckle. If that didn’t get him fired then nothing would. He couldn’t help himself, could he? His mouth got him into a lot of trouble but he didn’t care. He’d just go find another job.

Mister Johnathan’s eyes were wide and his mouth dropped open for a second before regaining his composure. He frowned and sniffed, “Look, I know you’re trying to be funny here, and I don’t really care one way or another. We just need a hard working body here and you’ve been running circles around these other staff so I’ll leave you be but please do not speak that way around the women and do not be late again. Understood?”

Harry was legitimately at a loss for words. Johnathan’s response was much cooler and calmer than Harry imagined it would be. In fact, he found a new respect for Johnathan in that moment. Harry nodded and apologized once again before Johnathan left to the house.

On her way home, Daisy stopped at the market to buy two bananas and an orange for her dinner. She knew she should make a real dinner but somedays after work she was too tired and really just wanted to settle into her bed with a book and red wine. Her evening looked precisely as the one the night prior only with bananas and an orange in the mix, and also thoughts of Harry swirling in her brain.

Chapter 4*

#harry fic #harry smut #harry styles #harry styles fanfic #harry styles smut #1920s era harry

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lofi-tophat · 3 years

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Let’s talk about the 70s punk scene and HWS England

I sometimes feel that the fandom doesn’t give England’s love for punk/rock music much justice. Some authors usually write about this human AU in which Arthur wants to be a rockstar and some others plainly avoid the topic whatsoever. Which is a pity because I actually believe the whole character has a deep punk reference, specially regarding appearence (might expand on this in another post but basically, for me, England seems like some random bushy browed anime 70s punk guy who suddenly has to put on a suit and attend world meetings, which is both fascinating and hilarious).

So I thought maybe we could dive a bit into very general punk history and then I’d like to share with you some hc regarding England’s involvement with punk culture in general (if you just want to read the hcs just scroll down to the last paragraph with the bullet ponts).

My experience in punk stuff is actually that I’m kind of a metalhead lol. Metalheads and punks had and probably still have a deeply-rooted rivalry. However, punk influenced metal a lot, and metal also influenced punk. So I stumbled upon many punk facts while browsing about my favorite metal bands.

Take this as historical hetalia... but counterculture historical hetalia :D (which is something we need more in the fandom, btw, I know military history is cool but its also cool how humans expressed themselves through art, fashion and music when they felt the pressure of authority and the frustration of society).

Historical context

Let’s return a bit in time and remember the 60s. The 60s were this blessed time in which people tried to defeat the establishment with peace and love. The hippie movement is from this decade and it influenced a lot on how people thought and behaved. In terms of counterculture, I must say this is a fascinating time in history (I recently discovered psychodelic science and its so incredible what was being talked back then).

Anyways, although a lot of young people were into this discourse of love and peace, some weren’t really that happy about it. In Europe, the post-war situation was sad and a lot of young people either were jobless or had the shittiest jobs you could imagine. Politics were also depressing. This was the origin not only for punk but also for other genres of heavy music, such as metal: People who didn’t want to be all happy and peaceful and had the need to express their frustration and anger, shouting about how society was fucked up. They needed an outlet.

Origins of punk

The origins of punk music are actually not quite clear. In fact, the US and the UK both claim that punk music was born in their country. Funnily enough, my country also claims to be the origin of punk (I’ll leave this mini-doc for you. Sadly, I don’t think this is a correct claim, mainly because their music was in spanish and I doubt that major punk bands took them as reference. Its a cool band tho).

I have to side with americans on this: The arguments for the american origins of punk are quite solid. The Ramones were the first actual punk band out there. They were active since 1974. Their music had all the elements of punk and, chronologically, they were the first ones performing this type of sound.

However, they didn’t have the aesthetic. That actually was a british invention. American punk had still leather jackets, jeans and sneakers. British punk? Well, remember all those ripped pants and shirts you commonly associate with punk? Yes, those were the Sex Pistols all along. They were the ones introducing the attitude and the style. The Pistols had some insane performances and a huge shock-value that can’t be found in early american punk. So you can safely say that your image of what a punk is is based mainly on the Pistols (also, for singing anti-authoritarian lyrics, they actually were managed by some dude who had a fashion shop. So yeah...).

Punk attitude or philosophy or whatever

The reason why I addressed the rockstar thing at the start of the post is because I find it curious. Punk is characterized by the whole Do It Yourself attitude and breaking with the establishment. Anarchism in punk is scandalizing people since there is no authority whatsoever. There wasn’t really any deep philosophy behind all of this, nor any political movement. Punk has nothing to do with a formal anarchist philosophy (which actually exists and has nothing to do with disorder). However, punk is characterized by the anti-establihsment lyrics. Remember, this is all about scandalizing people (which sometimes took great lengths). Presentations from british punk bands were also quite wild those days. They involved a lot of insults, spitting and, of course, pogo.

So, it is obvious that there is this deep concern about turning into a sellout, a pretty common fear in any underground scene. Authenticity was encouraged. Aspiring rockstars really didn’t have much mercy in the community so to speak, at least in this specific period.

I would also like to add how punk had other aspects beside the music. For example, fanzines were pretty popular in the punk scene in the 70s and a great way to engage with what was going on with bands and music. I remember also this interview of this band in which they remembered how a very high guy decided to recite his poem while the band was playing. So, yeah, literature, illustration, fashion and other stuff were involved in the punk scene too.

British punk was also characterized by a very nihilistic attitude and a total disregard for previous influences. 1977, a song by The Clash, stated:

No Elvis, Beatles, or the Rolling Stones!

Now, for the important stuff: The music. Punk music is all about being simple. Punk musicians aren’t really known for their virtuosity in their instruments, something that actually inspired musicians from a lot of heavy bands later. In fact, the famous Sid Vicious from the Sex Pistols never could learn how to play the bass. So the band disconnected his instrument from the amplifier and he only had to pretend to play. The guy actually tried to learn how to play bass but music wasn’t exactly his talent. He had tons of punk attitude though, and that was the reason why his band didn’t kick him out.

Vocals are usually shouted, the rythm is fast and the riffs are quite simple. In fact, there is this famous publication on a 1976 british fanzine that stated:

This is a chord

This is another

This is a third

Now form a band

HWS England and the 70s punk scene and onwards

Thanks to his immortality, it is obvious that England had to experience the 70s in all their glory (what a lucky bastard). Was he there? Hell yes. As I explained before in some of my hc posts, nations represent the population more than their Government, so I really believe that England felt the frustration from that post-wwii decade and he probably also felt pissed about this. Working for the Government must have felt really frustrating during those years.

In the past, he probably would have tried to take his ship and sail the seas or whatever, but that was not possible in the modern era. I guess that’s how he discovered punk.

Now, rock existed in England before punk. I mean, the Beatles, duh. So Arthur wouldn’t have been completely ignorant about rock music in general. Contrary to popular belief I don’t imagine him being that much of a beatlemaniac though. Sure he likes them, but the music didn’t resonated with him as much. But boy, that first time he heard the Pink Fairies in 1971 (Yes, this was an actual band, a proto-punk band)? Yeah, he could relate more to that.

More detailed stuff here:

Pubs were crucial for the development of punk music. They were these spaces in which bands could play, a venue to discover new music. Yes, Arthur must have been a regular in a lot of these pubs.

Fanzines probably fascinated Arthur as an outlet for his own writings and silly drawings. He probably created a cringey pseudonym and collaborated with a lot of them.

Its canon that England likes to critic american movies, and, taking from there, I think he’s the type of guy that has an opinion for everything. So I can imagine him also writing about what bands he enjoyed and what bands sucked.

Yeah, I can also see him being drunk and just reciting a poem while some rock band played behind.

With some ability, and a lil bit of tricks, Arthur could escape normal Government activities and perform with punk bands at nights. People were so into the music that he had no problem passing by.

Some cover art in CDs show Enlgland with a guitar and a bass (yes, not many people remember the bass cover art). So he probably plays both guitar and bass. He also probably plays the drums. Of course, he’s no virtuoso and he only knows the most basic stuff in those three instruments. I can see him being into songwriting tho.

Music equipment:

Guitar: Definetely a Telecaster

Bass: Fender P-bass and I can also see him having a Rickenbacker 4001

All these instruments are full with stickers. Punk instruments look really cool btw. (I wish my bass could look like those I see in certain punk bands)

England’s probably the kind of guy that doesn’t cut his strings at the head of his guitar.

He can actually play guitar/bass and sing at the same time.

England plays bass with a pick (what an asshole, we bassists know picks are not allowed)

Contrary to popular belief, I can see England appreciating good rock music from other countries and supporting them. He probably insists that punk music was born in the UK though.

1977: The Queen was going to celebrate her silver jubilee. And England had no problem with this. He really had none... but he HAD to be in that boat trip with the Sex Pistols. There’s no way he was going to miss that. He later had to explain his abscence that day to his Government officials (Btw, my hc for England’s relationship with his monarchy is “It’s complicated”. I can explain this later. Just remember that he was really pissed those days)

I can see Arthur in general being really involved with the scene. A lot of the stuff they were making actually matches with his canon interests and even personality. So he probably enjoyed those days and felt quite at home. I can even say that, for a long time, he hadn’t felt that kind of connection with his own people.

Although I can see England being attracted by the nihilism in the scene, I think his romanticism protects him from embracing it fully.

England had to live a double-life during this era. Not that it was new for him.

Arthur was pierced several times by some random, drunk teenagers. He doesn’t remember who tho. He was also drunk. Obviously his piercings close really fast, unless he has a permanent jewel in there.

I can actually see England expanding his music taste. Although punk is in his heart, it wouldn’t be strange for me that he’s overall a rock nerd and enjoys other genres, specially those with fast drum beats and heavy riffs. So I can see him having some metal favorites too, having a certain taste for prog rock and even digging into hardcore.

I’m still unsure if England would have been a massive Pistols fan as fanfics usually portray him. I mean, maybe? I would say he is definetely into acts such as the Pink Fairies (I mean, c’mon, its perfect). The Clash and the Damned probably also have a place in his heart.

After the punk scene dried out (the 80s weren’t that great for punk music although it was the birth of even heavier forms of music based on punk), England also was eager about the new genres flourishing during these times based on punk. Acts like folk punk might have had an appeal for him. He’s also fond of the punk-ish bands from the 90s like Green Day.

“Punk will never die!” shouted England while stage diving in some random small concert. He likes to support new bands these days.

The most fascinating thing, maybe in a more poetic sense, is that England’s immortality probably also helps him to keep up a punk spirit as much as his nationhood allows him, instead of aging poorly and angry like a lot of punk musicians... I mean, he aged poorly, but for other reasons lmao.

#hetalia #hws england #lofi-tophat: really long hc #in the next issue: America is a swiftie WITH EVIDENCE #I do enjoy some american metal bands but I don't see America being that much into heavy music #he probably doesn't even care if punk was born in the us or not so england maybe won that one #guys i could ramble forever with my music hcs but ill just leave you with Moldovas extensive pop collection #finland's passion for folk metal acts like korpiklaani #and cuba shouting AZZUUUUUCAAARRR in karaokes #btw pirate metal exists kind of as a subgenre but it exists and england is into it

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billehrman · 3 years

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Putting the Pedal to the Metal

The domestic economy is recovering sooner and is more robust than we anticipated a few months ago. First-quarter corporate revenues, earnings, and cash flow reported so far are nothing short of sensational, especially for the FANG stocks, such that their comparisons will get more difficult for them as the year progresses.

In contrast, year-over-year results will continue to improve sequentially for the economically sensitive companies as we move through the year into 2022 and even 2023, supported by overly accommodative monetary and fiscal policies. We expect growth overseas, with some exceptions, to lag our recovery by several quarters as it is taking them longer to get their arms around the coronavirus. We then expect a robust synchronous expansion as we move through 2022, which could last several years as long as global monetary bodies remain accommodative. They want their economies to run hot despite expected higher near-term inflation. Putting the pandemic in the rearview mirror with all that excess liquidity, pent-up demand, and woefully low inventories out there combined with accommodative monetary and fiscal policies will lead to a supercharged global economic expansion, even in the ECB. Earnings will surprise on the upside, especially for the economically sensitive companies, as we expect record levels of operating margins along with tremendous free cash generation that will lead to much higher dividends and record share buybacks. If liquidity drives financial markets, just imagine that we had over $6 trillion in personal savings reported for March and a 27.6% savings rate compared to a norm closer to 5%. Need we say more? Yes, we can have corrections at any time, but they should be bought, as the next few years look great.

The number of vaccinations continues to increase sequentially, and over 1.1 billion doses having been administered across 174 countries so far. In the United States, approximately 237 million doses have been given, averaging now close to 2.64 million doses per day. We continue to believe that we could reach herd immunity in the United States by early summer and globally before next winter, which gives us confidence in the sustainability of the economic recovery. Pfizer and Moderna can produce several billion doses in 2021 and over 5 billion doses in 2022. Pfizer hopes to have a new at-home pill to treat Covid by year-end, which is remarkable. We are pleased to see New York fully reopen by July. All good news for sure.

The Federal Reserve met last week and left interest rates near zero and maintained the pace of asset purchases at $120 billion/month. Powell reiterated at the follow-on press conference that the Fed would wait for inflation to moderately exceed its 2% target for some time before moving to curb its expansive monetary policy. He also noted that “the economy is far away from the Fed’s goals, and it is likely to take some time for substantial further progress to be achieved.” He concluded by saying that “we expect to maintain an accommodative stance to monetary policy until these employment and inflation outcomes are achieved.” This is the same message that we hear from the Bank of England, BOJ, and the ECB. All monetary authorities are willing to let their economies run hot before even considering first tapering and, secondly, hiking rates.

President Biden addressed Congress last Wednesday and presented his American Family Plan, which includes $1.8 trillion in new spending and taxes over ten years for workers, families, and children. That’s on top of the $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan that he released at the end of March. This new plan includes $225 billion towards child care; $225 billion to create a national comprehensive paid family and medical leave program; $200 billion for free universal pre-school for all three and four years old’s; $109 billion toward ensuring two years of free community college; $85 billion toward Pell Grants; $62 billion grant program to increase college retention and completion rates; $39 billion for subsidized tuition; $200 billion for lowering health insurance; and making permanent some child care credits, earned income credits and other tax credits included in the Covid Relief Bill. He would pay for this by hiking the top tax rate of the “very” wealthy to 39.6%, closing a series of tax loopholes, increasing collections, and increasing the capital gains rate to 39.6% for the “very” rich.

Cutting to the chase, we do not see anywhere close to this proposal being passed by the Senate, nor do we see anywhere close to his $2.3 trillion infrastructure bill raising corporate taxes to 29%. We continue to see water-downed, more traditional infrastructure bills closer to $1.8 trillion with corporate tax rate hiked to 25%, increased collections and user fees, and some additional social programs passed in 2022 hiking the individual and death tax for the very wealthy plus closing loopholes and growing collections. We feel that Democrats run the real risk of losing the House in 2022 if they insist on pushing too hard their far-left agenda. Recent redistricting does not help their cause, too, as conservative states gained while liberal states lost. One way or another, we will gain several trillion of additional stimulus in 2021 and 2022 on top of the $6 trillion already passed that will all boost economic growth.

Recent economic data points have been off the charts; jobless claims fell to 553,000, a pandemic era low; Chicago PMI rose to 72.1; April Consumer Sentiment increased to 88.3; Current conditions rose to 97.2; index of consumer expectations increased to 82.7; personal income increased $4.2 trillion in March with a 27.6% savings rate(yep!); durable goods orders rose 0.5%; regular shipments increased 2.5% as unfilled orders rose 0.4%; home prices soared the most in 15 years; and finally first-quarter GNP gained 6.4% boosted by consumer spending, fixed residential and nonresidential spending along with more government spending. It is interesting to note that excluding the trade and inventories component of GDP, final sales accelerated to a 10.6% pace in the quarter. Don’t forget that more stimulus is coming too. If excess liquidity drives the economy and financial markets, the best days are clearly ahead. And this will be a global phenomenon too!

That’s putting the pedal to the metal.

Investment Conclusions

Our global, top-down macroeconomic view has never looked better for 2021 and 2022. Excess liquidity will continue to drive prices higher for financial assets. Interestingly, our bottom-up analysis looks outstanding, too, as corporations are managing their businesses exceptionally well. So far in this earnings season, over 88% of the company’s reporting are beating on both the top and bottom-line plus generating much more free cash flow, which is being designated for dividend hikes and buybacks as balance sheets have never been stronger. We expect to see record levels of M&A, too, as most deals are for cash and are therefore non-dilutive as cash on balance sheets earns virtually nothing.

We continue to emphasize in our portfolios companies leveraged to the upcoming surge in global economic activity as their earnings growth will be accelerating going forward while the pandemic beneficiaries, like the FANG stocks, are seeing their best days now, and incremental gains are likely to slow ahead from their current torrent pace.

Areas of concentration include global capital goods, machinery, and industrials; financials, as we expect the yield curve to continue to steepen; technology at a fair price as we certainly are in a technological revolution; industrial and agricultural commodities as we expect shortages for several years; transportation; and several unique situations.

We suggest listening to Berkshire Hathaway’s Annual Meeting today to gain insight into the global economy while hearing investment advice from two of the most successful investors in our lifetime, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger.

Our investment webinar will be held on Monday, May 3rd, at 8:30, am EST. You can join by entering https://zoom.us/j/9179217852 in your browser or calling +646 558 8656 and entering the password 9179217852.

Remember to review all the facts; pause, reflect, and consider mindset changes; look at your asset mix with risk controls; turn off your cable news; listen to as many earnings calls as possible; do independent research and…

Invest Accordingly!

Bill Ehrman

Paix et Prosperite LLC

[email protected]

917-951-4139

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cluelessnamelessao3 · 3 years

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It’s Raining Somewhere Else

The world shook as Monsters were freed from their imprisonment. Monsters were something of fairy tales. Big, tall, scary creatures that liked to snatch little girls like you when they misbehaved—at least, that’s what you’d always been warned as a child. Yet, these beasts were nothing like the horrors you'd heard of before.

Now, after a year of being confined to Mt. Ebott, the monsters were free to join the bigger world. Seemingly overnight, shops were built and opened, houses were renovated, and it seemed as though the monsters would flourish. Yet, humans were not at peace with this change, and tensions were growing.

And somehow, you'd landed yourself in the midst of this chaos--fresh out of college, jobless, and just looking for a place to start your life.

Prologue

[One Year Previously]

“Just three hours previously there was an unnatural earthquake, and as many callers have reported, it was big. Seismologists were baffled by the lack of pre-seismic signals—meaning that this earthquake was unpredicted and not of nature! They are still trying to find a definitive cause. We’re here on the scene at Mt. Ebott, where the tremors began.”

You blinked blearily at the TV. A glance at the digital clock on the wall taunted you with a solid 4:00 am. You sighed, it just figured that you’d be up late the day before some important exams. You were only up in the first place to finish annotating a piece of anglo-saxon literature for your class. You shuffled slightly on the bed, the cheap mattress creaking with the little movements.

You were just in your early twenties, still attending University, literature major (and major nerd), and living it up in a cramped dorm on campus. Most Seniors and Juniors lived off-campus by now, but you didn’t have the money for an apartment, and your financial aid took care of on-campus living expenses. It might not be ideal, but it was better than paying the exorbitant prices for housing off the school’s grounds.

Your attention was drawn back to the little TV as the screen changed from one curly haired, seemingly frazzled reporter, to a scene from the sky. Some helicopter was circling the mountain, a shaky camera focused at the ground.

“However, the tremors are not the only baffling thing.”

You yawned, reaching your hands towards the ceiling for what felt like a luxurious stretch. The TV played on with you only half listening. The ground looked like it was moving, actually, it looked like something was pouring forth from a large cave on the mountain.

You knew Mt. Ebott. It was a small wild-life park, not very touristy, though the local schools loved to use it for fieldtrips. You remembered the stories of the mountain that the kids would tell to each other in hushed whispers—always sure not to catch the attention of the teacher, for surely they’d be angry at the outlandish claims.

Mt. Ebott was cursed, some said. People disappeared, they claimed.

The flood of movement from the cave entrance was indiscernible to your sleep deprived eyes. All you knew was it looked like a bunch of animals of different kinds, all crammed together, funnelling down the mountain. However, as the helicopter dipped lower, you were able to see them a little more clearly.

Suddenly, you felt much more awake. You tapped the volume button up four times, feeling trapped in an alternate universe. The words that came from the screen only increased your disconnection from reality. It was so surreal to watch countless beings leave the mouth of the cave: skeletons, bipedal animal-like creatures, small planes, mannequins, miniature volcanoes, and so many more. It seemed unending.

“They’re claiming to be a very old sentient species, calling themselves Monsters. We’re on scene here, however we cannot get very close to the base of the mountain as the military has already moved in. The Government must be going wild at this discovery! An entire new people! Just appearing from the earth, it’s quite incredible to be here on this day.

“History is being made today as more and more of these monsters leave their mountainous prison. We’ve received word from the military that these monsters claim to be a peaceful people, they only wish to reclaim their kingdom and live free.”

A commercial began to play, cutting off whatever story you were getting. With a huff of frustration, you flicked through channels—only to realise every channel’s regular programming had been changed to various news reports about the creatures coming to light.

“There have been many talks between military officials and who seem to be the monarchs of the monsters. Arrangements for a town at the base of Mt. Ebott is being discussed currently. It seems as though the President has arrived with another grouping of soldiers, as well as other various officials. As soon as we hear word of what is happening, we will let the public know. Our promise is to present news from the source! We’ll get back to you after the break—”

The screen flashed black, then an irritatingly vibrant blue, with words scrolling across the screen. An alarm squawked from the screen, and you quickly pushed the volume down. Your eyes trailed across the screen, as comprehension washed over you.

The Government must have stopped other broadcasts in order to send this alert. You skimmed the sliding words, though no new information was presented. The alert ended, with a promise to show again in exactly an hour.

The screen flicked back to the reporter, but you turned it off. The room was swept with darkness, and you sat in the silence for a moment, just trying to process.

Monsters were something of fairy tales. Big, tall, scary creatures that liked to snatch little girls like you when they misbehaved—at least, that’s what you’d always been warned as a child. You’d giggle manically, then continue to make whatever mess you’d been caught creating. If your papa had found you, he’d laugh, then help you clean up, chatting with you the whole time. If your mother had been the one to find you… her anger was explosive.

She was an explosive person up until the very end. She struck fear into the hearts of those around her. Her ferocity was unmatched. She was a warrior queen in her own right, having gone through hell and back during her own childhood. You had loved her just as much as you had despised her. She was mean, harsh, and cold, but you knew she cared underneath that.

At least, you’d thought she had, until she left. Her whereabouts had been unknown for ten, nearly eleven years, and she presumed dead. You weren’t sure if you preferred the thought that she left unwillingly, rather than just walking out on you and papa.

Abruptly, you slid to the edge of the bed, and hopped off. Waving your arms around, and twisting, you stretched your sore muscles. It’d been a long day, full of classes, and carrying three literature text books about the size of you. You were getting closer and closer to the end of your schooling. You glanced at your desk, seeing the scattered papers and scraps of notes littering the surface. Your TV sat perched on the right corner of the desk, facing your bed.

Just looking at it made your head spin. Monsters? You couldn’t believe it. You couldn’t believe something so wild and out there and… and… fantastical. It just didn’t make sense. How long had they been in that cave? Just how many were there? How were they going to join society? Would they even want to?

Your mind was swimming with more questions than you could count—your curiosity was insatiable. You just wanted to know. Who are they? Who imprisoned them, and why? How did they escape?

A lithe and soft form twined itself around your ankles, startling you from your thoughts. You managed not to squeak in fear, though, realising it was just your asshole cat: Lampshade. He blinked up at your with glowing amber eyes, and butted his head against your shin.

“Alright Shade, it’s been too much today. Let’s… call it a night.”

You scooped up the small black cat, tossed him onto the bed, and jumped onto it yourself. There was too much to think about, too much to consider, too much new information to process. You weren’t even sure you’d manage to find sleep tonight. Every time you closed your eyes, the scene of those monsters flooding down the mountain in thousands replayed. It was new. It was cool. It was scary.

You sighed, you had class to attend, work to do, and exams to take. Your life felt so mundane now, so small, so nothing compared to the monumental event of a reappearance of an entire species. The reported was right, history really was being made.

Mt. Ebott, always considered a curse, had now produced a hidden and entrapped people. Could this be the start of a new era? Your mind wandered with the possibilities.

Briefly, before sleep claimed your exhausted mind, you wondered: would you meet a monster?

#it's raining somewhere else #sans/reader #undertale #undertale fanfiction #sans/female reader #prologue #prologue it's raining somewhere else

0 notes

itsfinancethings · 4 years

Link

(WASHINGTON) — It stands as the biggest economic rescue in U.S. history, the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill swiftly approved by Congress in the spring. And it’s painfully clear now, as the pandemic worsens, it was only the start.

With COVID-19 cases hitting alarming new highs and the death roll rising, the pandemic’s devastating cycle is happening all over again, leaving Congress little choice but to engineer another costly rescue. Businesses are shutting down, schools cannot fully reopen and jobs are disappearing, all while federal emergency aid expires. Without a successful federal plan to control the outbreak, Congress heads back to work with no endgame to the crisis in sight.

“It’s not going to magically disappear,” said a somber Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., during a visit to a hospital in his home state to thank front-line workers.

Lawmakers return Monday to Washington to try to pull the country back from the looming COVID-19 cliff. While the White House prefers to outsource much of the decision-making on virus testing and prevention to the states, the absence of a federal intervention has forced the House and Senate to try to draft another assistance package.

It’s a massive undertaking, hardly politically popular, but the alternative is worse. Experts predict an even more dire public health outlook for winter. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease official, says the U.S. needs to “regroup.”

As McConnell prepares to roll out his $1 trillion-plus proposal, he acknowledges it will not have full support. Already the White House is suggesting changes, Republicans are divided and broader disagreements with Democrats could derail the whole effort.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., already pushed through a more sweeping $3 trillion relief bill to bolster virus testing, keep aid flowing and set new health and workplace standards for reopening schools, shops and workplaces.

She said recently she finds herself yearning for an earlier era of Republicans in the White House, saying tha despite differences, even with President Richard Nixon, who resigned facing impeachment, “At least we had a shared commitment to the governance of our country.”

The political stakes are high for all sides before the November election, but even more so for the nation, which now has more coronavirus infections and a higher death count than any other country. On Friday, two former Federal Reserve Board leaders urged Congress to do more.

“Time is running out,” Pelosi said.

There were just a few hundred coronavirus cases when Congress first started focusing on emergency spending in early March. By the end of that month, as Congress passed a $2.2 trillion bill, cases soared past 100,000 and deaths climbed past 2,000.

Today, the death toll stands at more than 139,000 in the U.S., with 3.6 million-plus confirmed cases.

The virus that first tore into New York, California and America’s big cities is now plaguing places large and small, urban and rural, burning through the South, West and beyond without restraint.

Freezer cases that stored bodies outside New York hospitals are now on order in Arizona. The mobilization of military medical units to help overworked health care providers has shifted now to Texas.

Lawmakers hardly wore facial masks when they voted in March as the Capitol was shutting down and sending them to the ranks of work-from-home Americans. Trump and his allies still rarely wear them. But at least 25 governors from states as diverse as Alabama to Oregon now have mask requirements. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this past week that if everyone wore a mask, it could help “drive this epidemic to the ground.”

Just as the pandemic’s ferocious cycle is starting again, the first round of aid is running out.

A federal $600-a-week boost to regular unemployment benefits expires at the end of the month. So, too, does the federal ban on evictions on millions of rental units.

With 17 straight weeks of unemployment claims topping 1 million — usually its about 200,000 — many households are facing a cash crunch and losing employer-backed health insurance coverage.

Despite flickers of an economic upswing as states eased stay-home orders in May and June, the jobless rate remains at double digits, higher than it ever was in the last decade’s Great Recession.

Pelosi’s bill, approved in May, includes $75 billion for testing and tracing to try to get a handle on the virus spread, funnels $100 billion to schools to safely reopen and sends $1 trillion to cash-strapped states that are pleading for federal dollars to pay essential workers and prevent layoffs. The measure would give cash stipends to Americans, and bolster rental and mortgage and other safety net protections.

McConnell hit “pause” after passage of the last aid package as Republicans hoped the economy would rebound and stem the need for more assistance. He now acknowledges additional intervention is needed.

His bill centers on a five-year liability shield to prevent what he calls an “epidemic of lawsuits” against businesses, schools and health care providers. The bill is expected to provide up to $75 billion for schools, another round of $1,200 direct payments to Americans and grants to child care providers. There is likely to be tax credits to help companies shoulder the cost of safely reopening shops, offices and other businesses.

Unlike the other virus aid pacakges that passed almost unanimously, McConnell says this one will be more difficult to approve.

In the two months since Pelosi’s bill passed, the U.S. had 50,000 more deaths and 2 million more infections.

“If we don’t invest the money now, it will be much worse,” Pelosi said.

#IFTTT #Blogger

0 notes

preciousmetals0 · 4 years

Text

Washington’s Cash Injection; Fujifilm’s Big Rejection

Washington’s Cash Injection; Fujifilm’s Big Rejection:

Bye, Bye, Bull Market Ride

A long, long time ago … I can still remember how that bull market used to make me smile. And I knew if I had my way that I could make those winning trades, and maybe we’d be happy for a while.

But March made me shiver, with every issue of Great Stuff I’d deliver. Bad news on the doorstep. I couldn’t take one more step…

Dear readers, I do have some happy news, unlike the girl who sang the blues. But first, we need to talk about U.S. weekly jobless claims.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported this morning that initial claims for unemployment benefits jumped by 70,000 to reach 281,000 last week. It’s the highest such reading since September 2017, but it’s rather unremarkable otherwise.

The problem arises when we look at early jobless claims reports for next week. Reports from Ohio put claims at nearly 78,000 in the past three days. Connecticut has about 30,000, and Illinois is looking at more than 41,000 claims.

We’re already well beyond last week’s 70,000-strong bump, and that’s only with partial data from three states. Next week, those claims will be there all in one place, like a generation lost in space. But there’s still time to start again…

So, come on, Steven be nimble, Steven be quick. Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Treasury Secretary, wants Congress to hand out cash real slick. ’Cause cash is the public’s only friend — apparently.

The current plan ol’ Steven is pushing will send $1,000 checks to most adults, with an additional $500 for children to help blunt the coronavirus’ economic impact. And, if you’re worried about government debt, Steven says we’re covered. The U.S. government can just take advantage of low interest rates to refinance.

Now, where have I heard that one before…

The Takeaway:

I went down to the Chinese store, where the virus started weeks before. But the people there said the virus wouldn’t spread.

(OK, that was a stretch.)

For the first time since this whole thing began, China reported that there were no new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases. If China can stop the coronavirus’ spread, so can the U.S.

No, dear reader, while your portfolio may be down — if you’re a Great Stuff regular, your portfolio shouldn’t be down as much — the U.S. is still headed for a reckoning with COVID-19, but today is not the day that we die!

No, sir! It ain’t over.

Nothing is over until we decide it is. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

Germans?

Forget it, he’s rolling.

We’ll continue to seek out companies that outperform in this virus-strewn mess (I have a couple today that you need to check out below).

Like Steven Mnuchin said, “we are going to kill this virus” and get back to a “normal world.”

I, for one, welcome our new, normal world. (What is this “normal” you speak of, Mnuchin?)

If you, too, would rather look ahead to a rebuilt, stronger-than-ever America … Paul Mampilly is already there.

Yes, even in these dark times, Paul Mampilly is a source of bright, forward-thinking research.

Paul’s “Strong Hands” approach to investing is crucial for times like this. He believes America will emerge from the coronavirus stronger than ever … no matter how long it takes. And the mega trends that he follows (such as 5G and precision medicine) won’t die to market panic.

Click here to learn about Paul Mampilly’s vision for a new, rebuilt America 2.0.

Going: Shop Smart, Shop Walmart

All right, you frightened investors, listen up. See this? This is our boomstick!

Despite the coronavirus smacking Wall Street around like a wet noodle, Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is hitting new all-time highs. The world’s largest retailer received two upgrades in the past 24 hours, as analysts project growing sales figures.

Oppenheimer lifted WMT to outperform and set a $125 price target on the stock. “As we have written about previously, grocers have clearly benefited from consumer stock-up activities lately,” the ratings firm said.

Meanwhile, Credit Suisse boosted its price target to $127 from $115. “We see this unfortunate period accelerating structural changes in consumer shopping, possibly by five-plus years,” Credit Suisse said.

In layman’s terms, both say that Walmart should benefit from some sticky traffic following the COVID-19 shopping spree. Ideally, you’d want to wait for confirmation of this shopping trend.

That said, Walmart is holding up remarkably well despite the market’s downturn. This is another stock that should be on your short list for sustainable investments in these tought times.

Going: Holding Apron Strings

Blue Apron Holdings Inc. (NYSE: APRN) is nowhere near as stable as Walmart. But the company is expected to benefit considerably from the shelter-in-place mentality surrounding COVID-19.

Through yesterday’s close, APRN went on a 600% tear higher due to investor speculation. If you’re unfamiliar, Blue Apron delivers meal kits directly to your door. With nothing to shop for and all ingredients included in the kit, you can see Blue Apron’s allure.

Today, the stock is down sharply — you can’t expect early buyers to just sit on 600% gains in this market!

However, that doesn’t mean APRN isn’t worth putting on your short list of companies to watch right now. For confirmation, we’d like to see data confirming an uptick in Blue Apron’s business before diving into this one.

Gone: Your Drug Buddy

Yesterday, I said: “With new companies pushing toward potential vaccines every day, I have to wonder how many of these spiking stocks will hold their ground.”

We’ve learned that hard lesson in the biotech sector with Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: INO) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) — both of which fell sharply from their recent vaccine-euphoria-induced highs.

Today, we have another lesson from a name we haven’t heard in a long time: Fujifilm Holdings Corp. (OTC: FUJIY).

Did you know that, in addition to making millions of rolls of 35 mm camera film in the ’80s and ’90s, Fujifilm also makes drugs? It was news to me, for sure.

In 2014, a Fujifilm holding called Fujifilm Toyama Chemical Co. Ltd. developed an antiviral drug called Avigan. The drug was all but shelved in Japan due to risks of fetal deaths and deformities … but that didn’t stop the Chinese from testing it on 200 COVID-19 patients. The drug worked surprisingly well, cutting recovery rates for sick patients by days.

China said it will move ahead with the drug, and the news sent FUJIY stock soaring.

Unfortunately, many investors missed a key bit of information in this story: Fujifilm no longer holds the patent for Avigan in China. We all know what that means — mass generic production in China.

That news is apparently making the rounds today, and FUJIY stock plunged as a result.

The lesson here is to be careful when investing in biotech — especially right now. It’s like dot-com-era speculation, only with vaccines and treatments out there.

It’s time for your favorite part of the week: Great Stuff’s Reader Feedback!

We asked you a lot of stimulating questions this week about the White House, the economy and the coronavirus … let’s see what you had to say:

Panic at the Retirement Home

Is panickin’ an OK game for the elderly? Though, we know we are going sometime, but not ready at this time! Lol

— Era P.

Era, there’s no reason to panic. You’re a strong person who will make it through this just fine.

This is not your time … and the fact that you’re “lol-ing” at this reassures me of that fact. Gotta love that sense of humor in the face of all this. Hang in there, wash your hands and keep Great Stuff updated. We’re pulling for you!

Viral Humor

Thank you for calming our nerves and spreading the viral humor.

— Shirley M.

Flattery will get you everywhere, Shirley. I’m glad that Great Stuff can provide an outlet in this viral storm. Thank you for reading!

Put Selling for Profit

Thanks for some laughs in these dark times. Selling WAY out of the money puts on great companies like BRK(B) and buying puts on the IWM keeps me in the market, but I wonder how long the Fed believes it can throw money at this market?

In spite of the billions that it has already thrown at this market, the abyss keeps clamoring for more.

It’s a suckers bet that I wish the Fed had never started.

Hate to say it, but I am in the “shut it down” camp.

NO idea where the bottom is when many (most?) companies’ revenue is going to zero for possibly months.

— Gary W.

Put selling? In this market? You’re braver than I thought, Gary.

As for the Fed, it’s talking trillions now … not just billions. I guess you’ll drop your $1,000 check into your margin account to sell more puts, you mad lad, you. I’m glad that’s working out for you. Hang in there!

Have you written in yet? What’s stopping you? Drop me a line at [email protected] and let me know how you’re doing out there in this crazy market.

That’s a wrap for today. But if you’re still craving more Great Stuff, you can check us out on social media: Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

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goldira01 · 4 years