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Top Three Takeaways – June 16th, 2021
- It’s worth it. I had someone ask me yesterday if getting the COVID-19 vaccine was really worth it. The side effects, the unknowns and the hope that the virus itself is mostly on the way out. As someone who doesn’t get annual flu shots but did opt for the Moderna vaccine my answer was and is an emphatic yes. And there’s a reason that goes beyond any of the science and efficacy of the vaccines. It really gets down to a feeling of freedom again. Yes, if you haven’t been vaccinated and don’t want to wear a mask you can ignore the CDC’s guidance and stated policies of most businesses because they have no way of knowing. But if you’re a decent and generally honest person that guilt probably weighs on you. Then there’s the peace of mind. Yes, even with the most effective vaccines five out of every 100 people who are vaccinated will contract the virus if exposed. No, that no longer has been a concern and for a couple of reasons. First, I’m generally careful and exercise good hygiene anyway. Second, because who wants to live life that way? Before the vaccine it was hard to feel comfortable living normally. Now normal is back to being normal again. No stupid “new normals”. Just normal. That alone makes it worth it, and my wife Ashley agrees. Incidentally, in case you were ever skeptical of the “new normal” people in the first place – your skepticism is valid. The “new normal” is literally cited by the Great Reset. The globalists who’ve wanted to use the pandemic to eliminate our previous freedoms in the name of a one-world government. Anyway, it might not seem like it but take it from someone who doesn’t usually do vaccines. It’s worth it. Speaking of which Governor DeSantis agrees. On Tuesday when asked about the new Delta variant the CDC’s warning about he said... I don’t think it’s going to go up anywhere like it did last summer because we have so much immunity. But the best thing you can do, particularly if you haven’t gotten the vaccine, particularly if you have any health problems … is to get a shot.
- When the dust settles. Today the Saharan dust storm begins in South Florida. Thankfully that’s the only thing coming at us from the coast of Africa for now and fingers crossed for the duration of hurricane season. But here’s the thing, while apparently numerous news outlets like reporting on pretty sunsets due to the dust – it's anything but a positive. If you have dust allergies, the next few days are likely to be tough. If you have asthma especially so. But the biggest issue of all could be in our water. Or specially waterways. The iron deposits dropped by dust storms are linked to algal blooms. With record toxic algae already recorded in Lake Okeechobee, drinking water having recently been contaminated in the Palm Beaches and record manatee deaths due to starvation from prior algal blooms – we'll be left with more than pretty sunsets once the dust settles. It’s all the more reason why it’s critical that we do what we can to minimize the impact we do have control over.
- Once unthinkable. No, I’m not still referencing the pandemic. That phrase is one of my favorite when used as a positive. That’s exactly what’s going on. That's the phrase used by Business Insider to describe Goldman Sach’s move to South Florida. Or as we’re increasingly being referred to in Manhattan...Wall Street South. Blackstone Group, Citadel Advisors, Elliott Capital Management, Goldman Sachs, Ichan Enterprises, Moelis and Virtu Financial are major Wall Street firms that have moved operations, or at least have begun to, to South Florida over the past year. South Florida’s role as a player in major financial services is no longer a joke. These firms are already bringing hundreds of high paying jobs and billions of dollars with them from Wall Street.