Sanctions on Russia

 I think Russia will have difficulties marketing its potash and possibly Bielo Russia too. Ukraine has mobilized its workforce, so its production may suffer. Ergo, ICL's stock will gain. First thing tomorrow: add ICL. Also, oil-related stocks will rise. The whole thing is senseless. It may give ideas to Xi regarding Taiwan. I hate this war. 

Peace and Prosperity Weakens

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the West has to work “very hard” to find alternative sources of energy beyond Russia

The Germans had worked themselves into a dangerous situation. They tried to develop "green" energy sources, phasing out "dirty" sources like nuclear and fossil. Now they depend on Russian gas and oil. Russian forces are poised to attack and they are paralyzed. 

The Woody Allen Paradox

 Woody thinks that the universe has no purpose nor sense, every hundred years humanity recycles itself and a new generation that knows nothing starts again.  And in the long term, the sun cools down and the planets disappear and in the end, the stars go out one by one. One wakes up each morning and goes to work, knowing that this is the truth, yet has to find a purpose in his own life. 

It is a paradox. Or self-deception. 

The Secret History

Ron Unz maintains that the Coronavirus that was discovered in Wuhan in 2019 was an American bioweapon, and it was first applied on the Persian government, and quite effectively, as many of its members died (I remember one sweating in the middle of a press conference and dying the next day). Then it extended to become a pandemia. Revealingly, the Chinese government imposed an immediate countrywide quarantine and Israel imported the Pfizer vaccine and immunized the whole population. Japan closed down all incoming ships and air traffic. The North Korean dictator disappeared and later he was discovered hiding in a remote location.  These vigilant governments reacted immediately and in force. Europe acted confused, England and the Scandinavians hoped that herd immunity will save them.

Unz suggested the zoonosis that decimated China's poultry and then swine industries were American attacks. He also says that the current Russia - American tension is an obvious hoax and the issue is the NordStream gas pipe to Germany. I don't know and did not form any opinion. 

  

TOWER

 I was among the very first investors in Tower Semiconductors many years ago. The company needed more capital and every three months or so they diluted the stock and I needed to buy and pay more. After two three years I lost my optimism and sold it. Then it appeared that they were starting to move and they bought Jazz and I entered again. The company never paid dividends so I slowly sold this hopeless stock. Pic. Russel Ellwanger, the American Mormor manager, persisted and kept on building this Tower miracle.  Ofer who founded the business lost faith in it and sold his shares to insurance companies. Now after 17 years TOWER caught me with a few stocks that after merging with Intel are worth a lot. The same is with Bezeq and the Bazan the Haifa refinery, I buy and sell after a bad spell, but I should hold them through the dark times till the bourse rises again.  

Body Weight Management

 I am very fat. Prof. Baron on youtube said that losing weight lowers blood pressure 20-30 mmHg, so I decided to try. This morning almost fainted and could not work. My last long fast was ten years ago, ate every two days and lost 15 kg. But now I am much frailer. 

Krach!

 The world bourses are falling. TASE is 3% down and some stocks are under -10%. The speculators fear the Fed's rising interest rates, Europeans (and America that is indebted 100% of GNP) fear the correspondingly higher debt burden. I have no such fears but I don't like these oscillations. 

To the left, is a graph comparing 1927 and today. I am uncertain this superposition is valid or not. 

Sax Rohmer: "The hand that held my arm was bony and clawish; I could detect the presence of incredibly long finger nails--nails long as those of some buried vampire of the black ages! Choking down a cry of horror, I opened my eyes... and looked into the face of my guide. It was Dr. Fu-Manchu!"