Fast-growing resale clothing franchise is looking for hungry entrepreneurs

Take the thrift store experience where it’s never been before as an Uptown Cheapskate franchise owner

As the secondhand clothing industry explodes, we are working to meet the demand for a more sustainable way to shop by offering franchise opportunities to ambitious entrepreneurs. We are leaders in the second-hand fashion industry focused on serving the communities in which we exist and offering an upscale resale shopping experience.

You Won’t do it Alone

The decision to franchise with Uptown Cheapskate means that you’re never going to be alone in your business. We know that the majority of our franchisees join our brand without any prior experience in the retail industry, and many have never owned a business before. It’s for this reason that Uptown Cheapskate has designed an industry-leading training and ongoing support platform designed to help you thrive in business from day one and every day after.

Find Purpose in your Entrepreneurial Pursuit

The best kind of entrepreneurs know that there’s more to life than making money – it’s what you do with that money that’s important. Likewise, business owners know that they’re not in business by themselves, especially if they’re successful because it takes an entire community to make a business successful.

Our franchise owners deliver an unmatched resale shopping experience that provides tremendous savings on in-fashion items all year long. More than that, our owners are committed to giving back, donating thousands of items to local charities every year.

Hear it from our Franchisees

A plane full of young people crashes violently against the snow-capped peaks of the Andes mountain range while one of them is heard praying the Hail Mary hoping to survive the accident. This is one of the most iconic scenes from the Live! Movie. by Franck Marshall ; a film that any Latin American has seen at least once and that he remembers as one of the most inspiring works on human resilience and the power of faith.

However, for Carlitos Páez , a proud lecturer who gives talks on motivation and teamwork all over the world, this scene portrays one of his hardest moments since in real life he was the young man who was praying while the flight 571 of the Uruguayan Air Force was rushing uncontrollably into the snowy desert of the mountains.

“We star in a 70-day story. An enormity. It is enough time to get married, get married and get divorced, “says Carlitos smiling, who at 65 years old visited Mexico City to tell how the experience of the ” Miracle of the Andes “ – as many know his story and that of his companions- it was actually a constant struggle against “No”.

^{Carlitios Páez in 1972 and now / Courtesy Viven.com.uy and Carlitos Páez}

The odyssey went like this: on October 13, 1973, the Fairchild Hiller FH-227 military plane crossed the mountain range with 40 passengers and five crew members carrying the Old Christians rugby team. A navigation error by the pilot caused the aircraft to crash on one of the cliffs of the mountain range in Mendoza (Argentina). The plane was trapped in the so-called Tear Glacier after the impact of the collision, as well as the detachment of several seats, left only 27 survivors facing temperatures of up to 42 ° C below zero.

Marcelo Pérez, the captain of the rugby team, took the role of leader to organize the young people to condition what was left of the plane’s fuselage to function as a shelter and to ration the very little food they had while awaiting rescue. However, eight days after the accident, the survivors heard on a small radio that the Chilean and Uruguayan authorities had decided to suspend the search missions.

What little food they had soon ran out, and on the Glacier of Tears there were no animals or vegetation that could be served. It was then that, 10 days after having eaten, the group made the decision to feed on the bodies of the deceased that had been frozen by the perpetual snow of the mountains.

“The process of making the decision to feed on our dead companions was much less lengthy than people think. We had lived 10 days without eating anything at all and we faced the sad reality of knowing that they were not looking for us anymore, ”says Páez.

Sixteen days after the plane crashed, an avalanche buried the survivors, claiming the lives of eight people, including that of Captain Marcelo Pérez. During the following weeks, three more young men would die from infections in their wounds, while the strongest young people in the group (including Carlitos) would make several expedition attempts to find a way out of the mountains.

Finally, on December 12, 1972, Nando Parrado, Roberto Canessa and Antonio Vizintín would go out in the final search for the exit of the Andes. On the third day of the hike and after encountering a desolate landscape of kilometers and kilometers of mountains, Vizintín would return to the fuselage to allow Canessa and Parrado to continue with their supplies.

The two young men walked for 10 days until they were able to come down from the mountains and meet a muleteer named Sergio Catalán who would finally help them get help to rescue the rest of the survivors.

^{Outside the plane in the mountain range / Courtesy Viven.com.uy}

Thus, on December 22, the 14 remaining survivors finally returned home after spending 72 days in the most frozen of hell.

“These 16 resurrected people surprised the world by surviving for two months on little food. The explanations must be sought in a field other than medicine and science. We have no logical explanation and the answer to its survival escapes any existing criteria. And if I were not a doctor, I would have to be obliged to believe in a miracle, ”said Dr. Eduardo Arragada, the doctor who provided the first care to the survivors.

We talked with Carlitos about what it was like to live in the Andes for those three months, making brutal decisions to return home and the importance of leadership over oneself to work as a team.

On the importance of attitude in the face of adversity

Entrepreneur en Español (ENT): You often say that his story was a constant struggle against “No”. Can you explain us a little more?

Carlitos Páez (CP): It is a story whose great merit was saying “Yes” to “No”, and that was thanks to a group attitude. We received big “No” in the Andes: the accident itself, receiving the news that they were no longer looking for us, making the decision to feed on our dead comrades, finding the tail of the plane and not being able to make the radio work … In our history the The big constant was “No”, but we always said “Yes.” I think the big theme of our story was attitude.

On the importance of true teamwork

ENT: How difficult was it to get everyone to work at the same level?

CP: We didn’t even know the concept of teamwork, but the human being is designed to do it and we put it into practice. Of course not everyone worked together and there were some who did nothing, but those who matter are the ones who did do something to get ahead.

On how to deal with crises

ENT: In the 1993 film they put a sequence where the actor who plays you prayed the Hail Mary, this to show how long the fall really was. What do you think at a time like that?

CP: All of us who get on a plane think it is going to fall, but when it falls we say ‘This can’t be happening to me’. It was a Hail Mary that I prayed as fast as I could, but you have to remember how long that prayer is and while I was praying, many things were happening: the plane broke in the middle, the cold began to get in, the shouting in a more absolute chaos and then fell into the most absolute silence when the engines were turned off and we began to slide through the snow.

ENT: How was that first moment that frozen hell? How did they decide that they should be activated?

CP: We come from a country (Uruguay) where there is no snow. The first thing we did was look for the pilot. We went to the cockpit and saw the dead captain and the copilot was dying. The mechanic was left, but he was a bit stunned, and with him we tried to get as much information as possible. However, in a short time we already knew more about mechanics than he did.

There began the fight to get out. First, because two planes passed above us that we thought had seen us and then when we heard the news on the radio that they were no longer looking for us. That was the most crucial moment of the odyssey because it gave us the strength to understand that from then on we depended on ourselves and not on outsiders to survive.

ENT: In your book you tell how a friend of yours was the one who precisely told you that now it was your turn to save yourselves …

CP: Gustavo Nicolich – who later died in the avalanche – told me: ‘Carlitos, I have good news to give you: I just heard on the Chilean radio that they are not looking for us anymore.’ I said ‘How good news, son of the great …?!’ and he replied: ‘This is good news because now we depend on ourselves and not on outsiders.’

If I think about 47 years later, I realize that that was the moment when we realized where we were standing and that we had to call on our own resources to save ourselves. It was when we stopped waiting and started acting.

On tolerance for frustration

ENT: If you could say something to the young Carlitos from that Friday the 13th who is about to get on the Fairchild, what would you say to him?

CP: That Carlitos was transformed throughout history. The truth is that I was useless. I had a babysitter and breakfast in bed. I was transforming myself and, personally, I am grateful for having lived that story. I give 100 lectures a year and try to help companies understand teamwork, tolerance for frustration, and strength in the face of extreme change.

According to National Geographic , the “Miracle of the Andes” is the most impressive story of survival starring ordinary people of all time. For example, to climb Everest there is a waiting list. It’s a matter of determination: I want to, I train, I do it. But in our case we couldn’t prepare.

We did not know how to move in the snow or at the height of the mountain (the maximum height in Uruguay is 500 meters). Remember that we were dressed in jeans and loafers at almost 30 degrees below zero. Also, sinking into virgin snow that has never been stepped on. The truth was very difficult to live like this.

^{Before the accident / Courtesy Viven.com.uy}

ENT: You just mention a very important point: tolerance for frustration. How do you do that in a circumstance like the one they lived in the Andes?

CP: It was a purely group issue. When you fell, the others lifted you up. It was my turn to be shown the way and it was my turn to show it to someone else. This is how groups work best. You are not always on top.

About making tough decisions

ENT: What is the decision-making process like in a crisis situation like this? Is there “paralysis by analysis”?

CP: We realized that we had the most sacred of rights, which was to return home to our family. A sacred right. The hunger you have in civilization is not the same as the one you feel in such a crisis.

ENT: That wasn’t the only difficult decision they had to make in the mountain range, was it?

CP: No, we make thousands of decisions and many are wrong. But like I say, it doesn’t matter if you make a wrong decision if you have passion and attitude. An error serves the same as a triumph.

ENT: Precisely, how do you move forward when you make a wrong decision?

CP: It happened to us. We made the decision to go the wrong route. We did not know that we were 10 kilometers from the Argentine side of the mountain range and we went to the opposite side, the Chilean.

On what is found in crises

ENT: Have you ever felt that what was lived in the mountain does not apply outside of it?

CP: For me, God was very present in the Andes. Later in civilization, no. They were moments of enormous purity that I would love to experience again. Years later I returned to the mountains convinced that I was going to experience them again, but it was not the same.

About motivation

ENT: How important was the family to get out of the mountain range?

CP: Very important. Our goal was never to have 20 movies made or 36 books written with our history. No, we fight over simpler things: to go home to Mom and Dad. The scale of values is put in its proper measure in extreme situations.

^{Survivors at the time of rescue / Courtesy Viven.com.uy}

ENT: I have read the book that your father, the painter Carlos Páez Vilaró, wrote about how he lived those 70 days in which you were lost ( Between my son and I, the Moon ). He was one of the people who never stopped looking because he never believed you were dead.

CP: Yes, I spent more than two months without seeing my father, but I knew that the logical thing was that he was fine. The problem was for him and my mother because they didn’t know what had happened to me. I felt him very close all the time.

The title was taken over by Dad because that link was with my mother. When I got home I told my mom that I always saw the moon from the mountain range because I thought she was probably looking at it too. And she told me that during that time, she would go out for a walk to the promenade to see the Moon thinking that I was seeing it.

ENT: You had your birthday in the Andes …

CP: I turned 19 years old at an altitude of 4,200 meters under an avalanche. Curiously, my father is one day after me, on November 1. We were buried for three days to get out of the avalanche and that day we succeeded.

On true leadership

ENT: How important is leadership in this story?

CP: Those who do not lead are left alone, but you have to understand that there are times when you have to lead and others follow someone else. In our history it was like this: there were leaders for certain things. It was my turn to live this story that seems wonderful to me, remembering those who accompanied us and had to leave, but which shows the power of individual effort to make teamwork succeed.

This story originally appeared on Alto Nivel

A rooftop in the Tacuba neighborhood of Mexico City was the best clue to blow up a dream. Alejandro Escolá climbed along with his cousins and brothers to the roof of his house to watch the planes go by and imagine that he was the pilot, a steel bird.

“The first time I saw a cockpit was when they took us to a plane, which they had made a restaurant, I remember being impressed with the panel and the instruments. I imagine it was a DC-6, but in my memory, it was a huge plane ”, remembers Alejandro Escolá, who now looks at the sky from a plane that he pilots in American Airlines.

The Mexican now belongs to one of the world’s leading US airlines which, together with American Eagle , offers an average of 6,700 daily flights to 350 destinations in 50 countries.

This April 7, the Mexican pilot celebrated World Aviation Pilot Day and recalled the story that precedes his path to the world of commercial aviation and the achievement of a dream that began on a rooftop in Mexico.

Making tamales

Alejandro Escolá was born in Mexico City during 1959. The Tacuba neighborhood was the area that sheltered his childhood with his parents and siblings.

“I grew up making tamales in the tamalería of my parents, who since I was little taught me the meaning of what effort and sacrifice is,” says Escolá, who took his steps towards a university cerrera, but never forgot his dream of flying.

At the age of 18, the young Mexican began to investigate what he needed to be a pilot. This is how he decided to go to the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) to talk with pilots he encountered.

Aviation professionals recommended Alejandro study in the United States, since in the neighboring country to the north he would find the best aviation schools.

However, there was a challenge ahead: Escola had to learn to speak English in order to leave his native country.

“I would go to the US Embassy in Mexico at 4 in the morning to look for information and what requirements I needed to study. I spent all day filling out papers and forms to get a study visa, ”says the Mexican.

Embassy employees sent the English student to the Benjamin Franklin Library to search for information on aviation studies. Thus began the admission process to various universities.

“So I got to the University Tulsa, Oklahoma. I continued to take English classes and after a year, I began my aviation studies at the Spartan School of Aeronautics. There I not only flew an airplane for the first time, but also obtained several of my licenses. My main training as a pilot was there ”, says Alejandro Escolá.

^{Image: American Airlines / Alejandro Escolá}

“I achieved my dream”

In 1982, his 23 years old , Alejandro already had several flight licenses, but he lacked experience and flight hours. That would change shortly for the path that family life would follow.

Escolá’s older sister moved to Puerto Rico , since her husband was originally from that region. When he finished his studies in the US, Alejandro decided to visit his family and shortly after he decided to stay and live on the island.

“In Puerto Rico I raised my family and at the same time I continued working to be able to get to an airline,” says the Mexican pilot.

In Puerto Rico, the Mexican obtained his instructor license and thus was able to accumulate flight hours. “When I was able to get the ATP license, I was able to enter an airline called Executive Air, they had CASA planes, only 19 passengers and no flight attendant, then that airline became American Eagle, which was a subsidiary of American Airlines , there I spent 23 years of my career flying the ATR plane throughout the Caribbean, ”he explains.

The opportunity seemed not to be long. One program offered American Eagle pilots to upgrade to American Airlines. The only requirement was to fly an EMB 145 aircraft for at least two years.

On September 11, 2001, the attack on the Twin Towers, in New York, and only 3 months after being part of American Airlines, the aviation industry completely changed before the terrorist events. “I saw my dream more and more distant,” says Alejandro.

“It wasn’t until January 2011 that I had the opportunity to get to American Airlines. It was a lot of work and many hours of study, but I achieved my dream, I flew the 737 plane until 2016 and that year I went on to fly the 777 plane, where I have been for 3 years ”, he recalls.

Alejandro Escolá believes that the aviation industry has progressed a lot and young people can access their dreams of flying.

“Sometimes the hard work and experience needed to get to be in command of an airplane is not shared. You start by obtaining the private pilot license with approximately 40 hours, then instrument training, then the commercial pilot license and multi-engine training. It is recommended to obtain the instructor license, in order to reach the 1500 hours required ”, he says.

Today, Alejandro Escolá, a native of the Tacuba neighborhood in Mexico City, is ready to help young people achieve their dreams. Today look at the roofs of other houses where perhaps there are other children who dream of occupying the cabin of their plane on American Airlines .

WHY CAREPATROL

CarePatrol franchise owners help tens of thousands of seniors find the care they need, and in the process we make a real, tangible difference in the lives of the families we serve.

Proven Business Model

CarePatrol is the largest senior care placement franchise in the U.S., with over 150 locations in 44 states. Since our founding in 1993 our proven best practices have helped social entrepreneurs realize their dreams of owning a business that makes a difference in their communities.

The Demand is Real

More seniors need care now than ever before – and the phenomenon commonly known as the “Silver Tsunami” isn’t going to slow down anytime soon. The Population Reference Bureau reports that the senior population will reach 100 million by 2060.

You Don’t Need Experience

While CarePatrol franchise owners are known as subject matter experts in their communities, the majority of our franchise owners did not have any experience in senior care before franchising with us. We provide ongoing training and resources to help you become the trusted advisor your clients have come to expect.

Low Cost Investment

CarePatrol is a low cost investment opportunity with high earning potential. Our straight-forward business model is home-based and turn-key, allowing you to keep overlead extremely low, while we help you to market your business quickly.

WHY IS CAREPATROL A WISE INVESTMENT?

It’s no secret that millions of Americans are rapidly becoming senior citizens on annual basis, which has created an enormous need for assisted-living facilities. More than eight million people require care from assisted-living facilities today, and that number is expected to reach 27 million by 2050. CarePatrol, as the original home placement brand, is in the best position to help seniors find the care they need — plus deliver peace of mind to families who are in desperate need of it. Our low cost to entry and proven business model have helped dozens of entrepreneurs find lasting success in business. Because the demand for our services is only going to increase, CarePatrol is poised to grow for years to come.

WATCH OUR BRAND STORY

Quick Summary

Blue Moon Estate Sales was established in 2009 with a mission to set new standards in an unregulated industry. The need for an estate sale typically comes about during a particularly stressful point in a person’s life. They may be moving, downsizing or managing a loved one’s belongings. Our ultimate goal is to efficiently minimize that stress and maximize results.

Helping people is what motivates us, and we pride ourselves on providing excellent service to both our clients and customers. Estate sales are a big undertaking, and we have it down to a science. The foundation that we have built supports a trustworthy, reproducible business model proven to result in great sales, loyal customers and successful franchisees.

Why Invest in an Estate Sale Franchise?

A Blue Moon Estate Sales franchise provides a tremendous opportunity in a growing, in-demand industry. For years, estate sales have been run by small, unregulated companies with varied results. Our experience, continued education and commitment to service excellence have solidified us as leaders in the markets we occupy. With millions of Baby Boomers in need of estate liquidation services, there has never been a more opportune time to start a career in this industry.

• This is a recession-resistant, billion-dollar industry.




• 10,000 Baby Boomers reach retirement age every day.




• Many are in need of downsizing possessions.

Today’s families are much smaller, and own a lot more stuff – often more than can be reasonably passed down to loved ones.

By taking advantage of Blue Moon’s complete market support, comprehensive training and reliable strategies, franchise owners can expect a high return on investment in one to two years, as well as a steady increase in returns annually.

What Makes Blue Moon Stand Out?

Very few companies exist in this franchise segment. We were the first to focus purely on estate sales, and we continue to stand out. Blue Moon has:

• A low start-up cost
• Large, protected territories
• Minimal Inventory
• A low investment with bang for your buck
• Brand confidence and recognition
• A loyal following of return customers
• An extensive web presence
• A friendly, supportive staff
• A proprietary digital platform

Our highly-scalable, home-based business model requires minimal space to store supplies and provides significant advantages, including:

• Flexible work hours
• No accounts receivable
• A loyal, direct-pay customer base
• Effective, multi-channel marketing
• A proven sale management process
• A proven client intake process

At Blue Moon, we believe in going into business for yourself but not by yourself. With us, you will receive:

• Comprehensive, hands-on training
• Ongoing educational resources
• Franchisee website maintenance
• Specialized support from a team of experts
• 24/7 access to a private community of peers
• Sister brand networking and referral opportunities
• Annual conferences
• National accounts

The Ideal Blue Moon Estate Sales Owner

Running estate sales is fast-paced, fun and a lot of work. We seek those who are energetic and ready to succeed. Whether it’s through a love of history, resale, collectibles, antiques, art or vintage items, a passion for this business is key. It is also important to remember that our clients are often experiencing stress that comes along with major life changes. With this in mind, our ideal candidate has:

• Exceptional ethics
• High energy and drive
• Strong communication skills
• Respect and compassion for others
• A willingness to follow a proven system
• A passion for the industry
• A business mindset

Learn more today about kickstarting a unique, rewarding career as a Blue Moon Estate Sales franchise owner.

March
31, 2021

8 min read

This story originally appeared on The Conversation

By William G. Bain , University of Pittsburgh ; Georgios D. Kitsios , University of Pittsburgh , and Tomeka L. Suber , University of Pittsburgh

A year ago, when US health authorities issued their first warning that COVID-19 would cause serious “disruptions to everyday life,” doctors had no effective treatments to offer beyond supportive care.

There is no quick cure yet, but thanks to an unprecedented global research effort, various treatments are helping patients survive COVID-19 and stay out of the hospital entirely.

These address two general problems : the ability of the coronavirus to spread through the body, and the damage caused by the body’s immune system response.

When the virus enters the body, it takes over cells and uses them to replicate. In response, the body sends inflammatory signals and immune cells to fight the virus. In some patients, that inflammatory response can continue even after the virus is under control, leading to damage to the lungs and other organs.

The best tool is prevention, including the use of masks , masks and vaccines. The injections train the immune system to fight off attackers. With less risk of uncontrolled infection, they can reduce the risk of death from COVID-19 to almost zero . But vaccine supplies are limited, even with a third vaccine now licensed for use in the US , so treatments for infected patients remain crucial.

As a physician and physicians working with COVID-19 patients , we have been following drug trials and success stories. Here are six commonly used treatments for the disease today. As you will see, time matters.

Treatments that can keep you out of the hospital

Two promising types of treatments involve injecting antiviral antibodies into high-risk COVID-19 patients before the person becomes seriously ill.

Our bodies naturally create antibodies to recognize foreign invaders and help fight them. But the production of natural antibodies takes several days, and SARS-CoV-2 – the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 – replicates rapidly.

Studies show that injecting patients with antibodies soon after symptoms start can help protect against serious infections.

^{Treatments for COVID-19 and at what height are they used / Image: Georgios D. Kitsios , CC BY-ND}

Monoclonal antibodies

These laboratory-engineered antibodies can bind to SARS-CoV-2 and prevent the virus from entering and infecting cells. They include Bamlanivimab and the combination therapy casirivimab / imdevimab developed by Regeneron.

The FDA, the United States health agency, granted emergency use authorization for these therapies because they have been found to protect high-risk patients from hospitalization and death.

However, once patients are sick enough to need hospitalization, studies have not found a proven benefit from them.

Convalescent plasma

Another way to administer antibodies involves drawing blood from patients who have recovered from COVID-19. Convalescent plasma is administered primarily in research settings because the clinical evidence so far is mixed.

Some trials show benefits in the early stages of the disease . Other studies have shown no benefit in hospitalized patients .

Convalescent plasma may play a role as an adjunct therapy for some patients due to the growing threat of mutated SARS-CoV-2 variants , which can evade monoclonal antibody therapy. However, careful research is necessary.

Inpatient treatments

Once people get so sick that they have to be hospitalized, the treatments change.

Most have shortness of breath and low oxygen levels. Lack of oxygen occurs when the virus and the corresponding immune response injure the lungs, causing inflammation of the lung alveoli that restrict the amount of oxygen entering the blood.

Those hospitalized with COVID-19 generally need supplemental medical oxygen to help them breathe. Doctors typically treat patients receiving oxygen with the antiviral agent remdesivir and anti-inflammatory corticosteroids.

^{Most people hospitalized with COVID-19 have shortness of breath and low oxygen levels / Image: AP Images / David Goldman}

Remdesivir

Originally designed to treat hepatitis C, it prevents the coronavirus from replicating by interfering with its genetic components .

It has been shown to shorten the length of hospital stays , and doctors may prescribe it to patients receiving oxygen shortly after arrival at the hospital.

Corticosteroids

Steroids quell the body’s immune response and have been used for decades to treat inflammatory disorders.

They are also widely available, cheap, and well-studied drugs, which is why they were among the first therapies to enter clinical trials for COVID-19.

Several studies have shown that low-dose steroids reduce deaths in hospitalized patients receiving oxygen, including the sickest patients in the intensive care unit.

Following the findings of the landmark RECOVERY and REMAP-CAP studies, steroids are now the standard of care for hospitalized COVID-19 patients who are treated with oxygen.

Blood thinners

Inflammation during COVID-19 and other viral infections can also increase the risk of blood clots, which can cause heart attacks , strokes, and dangerous blood clots in the lungs .

Many patients with this disease are given anticoagulants heparin or enoxaparin to prevent clots from forming before they occur.

Early data from a large trial of COVID-19 patients suggests that hospitalized patients benefit from higher doses of blood thinners.

Some patients get so sick that they need special care to receive high levels of oxygen or a ventilator to help them breathe.

There are several therapies available for intensive care patients, but patients have not been found to benefit from high doses of blood thinners.

Treating the sickest patients

Intensive therapy patients with COVID-19 are more likely to survive on steroids, studies show. However, low-dose steroids alone may not be enough to curb excessive inflammation.

Tocilizumab

It is a laboratory-generated antibody that blocks the interleukin-6 pathway, which can cause inflammation during COVID-19 and other illnesses.

New results from the REMAP-CAP trial that have not yet been peer-reviewed suggest that a single dose of tocilizumab given within one to two days after ventilation reduced the risk of death in patients already on low-dose steroids.

Tocilizumab has also been shown to benefit patients with high levels of inflammation in early results from another trial .

These innovative therapies can help, but careful supportive care in intensive care units is also crucial. Decades of extensive research have defined basic management principles to help patients with severe lung infections who need ventilators.

These include avoiding under-inflation and over-inflation of the lung by the ventilator, treating pain and anxiety with low levels of sedative medications, and periodic placement of certain patients with low oxygen levels in the abdomen , among many other interventions. The same key principles are likely to apply to COVID-19 patients to help them survive and recover from a critical illness that can last for weeks or months.

Medical progress since the beginning of the pandemic has been impressive. Doctors now have vaccines, high-risk outpatient antiviral antibodies, and various inpatient treatments. Continued research will be crucial to improving our ability to fight a disease that has already claimed more than 2.5 million lives worldwide.

^{This article was translated by El Financiero . This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .}

March
30, 2021

7 min read

This story originally appeared on ValueWalk

Friday‘s great run gave way to yesterday‘s consolidation, and stock bulls appear in need of more before taking out the psychological 4,000 mark. The Archegos crash isn‘t causing contagion fears the way GameStop in late Jan did. The current volatility and put/call ratio simply doesn‘t reflect that.

Q4 2020 hedge fund letters, conferences and more

The theme is still one of reflation – while inflation expectations are rising, and so are the inflation data for those who care to examine them closely enough, true inflation isn‘t yet here with us. Markets are merely transitioning to a higher inflation environment already, not buying the Fed‘s transitory explanation. Commodities are basing at the conquered levels before another run higher.

Make no mistake though, the current S&P 500 upswing is heavily reliant on the defensive sectors – technology isn‘t standing in the way, utilities and consumer staples are doing great, and so are several areas within the real estate sector such the residential one, or REIT ETFs that can be expected to keep doing well. Couple that with value stocks not really retreating, and you get the current view of S&P 500 advance structurally.

Credit markets though are a little lagging behind – thanks to the return of rising yields, working its predictable magic on investment grade corporate bonds as well. Such were my points from yesterday‘s extensive analysis, diving into the big picture across the markets and the economy:

(…) With 10-year Treasury yields at 1.67%, last week‘s decline didn‘t reach far before turning higher. Remembering stock market woes the first breach of 1.50% caused, stocks have coped well with the subsequent run up – while in the old days of retirees actually being able to live off interest rate income, a level of 4% would bring about trouble for S&P 500, now the level is probably just above 2%. Yes, that‘s how far our financialized economy has progressed – and I look for volatility to rise, and stocks to waver and likely enter a correction at such a bond market juncture. As always, I‘ll be keeping a close eye on the signs, emerging or not, as we approach that yield level.

The bond market isn‘t merely anticipating an economic recovery that has good chances of overheating still this year, it‘s also reacting to:

(…) the fresh money avalanche, activist fiscal and moterary policy to hit the markets as a tidal wave. Modern monetary theorists‘ dream come true. Unlike during the Great Recession, the newly minted money isn‘t going to go towards repairing banks‘ balance sheets – it‘s going into the financial markets, lifting up asset prices, and over to the real economy. So far, it‘s only PPI that‘s showing signs of inflation in the pipeline – soon to be manifest according to the CPI methodology as well.

Any deflation scare in such an environment stands low prospects of success.

Continuing:

(…) For deflation to succeed, a stock market crash followed by a depression has to come first. And as inflation is firing on just one cylinder now (asset price inflation not accompanied by labor market pressures), it isn‘t yet strong enough to derail the stock bull run. The true inflation is a 2022-3 story, which is when we would be likely in a full blown financial repression and bond yields capped well above 2% while inflation rate could run at double that figure. Then, the Fed wouldn‘t be engaged in a twist operation, but in yield curve control, which the precious metals would love, for they love low nominal and negative real rates.

As I wrote on Twitter, it‘s a question of time when gold starts anticipating the policy turn, snifffing it out just like the Fed having to abandon hawkish positions of late 2018, or the runup to the repo crisis of autumn 2019. We got quite a few decoupling signs, some on prolonged basis, but gold isn‘t yet leading commodities the way it did both before and after the corona deflationary shock.

Let‘s not forget about the currencies and arbitrage opportunities there – the yen carry trade is still very much alive, making it a no brainer to borrow in declining currency while parking the proceeds elsewhere – and the one-way trading in $USDJPY in 2021 is a fitting testament thereof. A powerful argument against deflation on our doorstep, by the way.

Quite to the (deflationary shock) contrary at the moment – both commodities and precious metals are under pressure in today‘s premarket session. Another undoing of the miners‘ outperformance?

Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com).

S&P 500 Outlook

Daily consolidation on average volume – no hinting at serious troubles down the road. Buy the dip mentality still rules the day.

Credit Markets

High yield corporate bonds (HYG ETF) chart looks a bit tired to the upside – the bulls had to defend against a serious downswing yesterday first. Contracting volume precedes rising volume, and the best the bulls can hope for, is sideways trading coupled with downswing rejection followed by another move higher.

Technology and Value

Technology (XLK ETF) repelled an intraday downswing while value stocks (VTV ETF) merely couldn‘t keep up all the gained ground during the day. So far so good in the run up or base building on the path to new all time highs.

Gold in the Spotlight

The daily resilience in the miners would come under heavy pressure today, and GDX can be expected to close lower. Would they still show outperformance vs. the yellow metal? I wouldn‘t bet the farm on it – it appears the Mar 04 game plan will be tested soon instead.

Miners to gold (black line) still keeps painting a bullish picture on the weekly chart, as it refuses to follow the yellow metal to the downside. Where would it be should the $1,670 support zone get tested again – would that level be sufficient enough to power a rebound?

Silver, Miners and Copper

Silver clearly illustrates the sectoral weakness – the selling waves get harder to repel, and upswing attempts are happening on lower volume. While copper goes sideways, the white metal is breaking lower, and its miners aren‘t showing any strength at all.

Summary

S&P 500 keeps consolidating Friday‘s gains without signs of upcoming, groundbreaking weakness. With volatility at around 20, the path of least resistance remains overall higher – until tech says no more. Again, no hint at that today still.

Gold is again approaching the $1,670 support, and miners‘ performance will send as valuable clues just as before the Mar 08 bottom. Given today‘s downswing, that will be an even more important indication, bearing medium-term consequences as well.

Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for both Stock Trading Signals and Gold Trading Signals.

Thank you,

Monica Kingsley

Stock Trading Signals

Gold Trading Signals

www.monicakingsley.co

mk@monicakingsley.co

All essays, research and information represent analyses and opinions of Monica Kingsley that are based on available and latest data. Despite careful research and best efforts, it may prove wrong and be subject to change with or without notice. Monica Kingsley does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the data or information reported. Her content serves educational purposes and should not be relied upon as advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks and options are financial instruments not suitable for every investor. Please be advised that you invest at your own risk. Monica Kingsley is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading her writings, you agree that she will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make. Investing, trading and speculating in financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Monica Kingsley may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in her writings, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Friday‘s great run gave way to yesterday‘s consolidation, and stock bulls appear in need of more before taking out the psychological 4,000 mark. The Archegos crash isn‘t causing contagion fears the way GameStop in late Jan did. The current volatility and put/call ratio simply doesn‘t reflect that.

Q4 2020 hedge fund letters, conferences and more

The theme is still one of reflation – while inflation expectations are rising, and so are the inflation data for those who care to examine them closely enough, true inflation isn‘t yet here with us. Markets are merely transitioning to a higher inflation environment already, not buying the Fed‘s transitory explanation. Commodities are basing at the conquered levels before another run higher.

Make no mistake though, the current S&P 500 upswing is heavily reliant on the defensive sectors – technology isn‘t standing in the way, utilities and consumer staples are doing great, and so are several areas within the real estate sector such the residential one, or REIT ETFs that can be expected to keep doing well. Couple that with value stocks not really retreating, and you get the current view of S&P 500 advance structurally.

Credit markets though are a little lagging behind – thanks to the return of rising yields, working its predictable magic on investment grade corporate bonds as well. Such were my points from yesterday‘s extensive analysis, diving into the big picture across the markets and the economy:

(…) With 10-year Treasury yields at 1.67%, last week‘s decline didn‘t reach far before turning higher. Remembering stock market woes the first breach of 1.50% caused, stocks have coped well with the subsequent run up – while in the old days of retirees actually being able to live off interest rate income, a level of 4% would bring about trouble for S&P 500, now the level is probably just above 2%. Yes, that‘s how far our financialized economy has progressed – and I look for volatility to rise, and stocks to waver and likely enter a correction at such a bond market juncture. As always, I‘ll be keeping a close eye on the signs, emerging or not, as we approach that yield level.

The bond market isn‘t merely anticipating an economic recovery that has good chances of overheating still this year, it‘s also reacting to:

(…) the fresh money avalanche, activist fiscal and moterary policy to hit the markets as a tidal wave. Modern monetary theorists‘ dream come true. Unlike during the Great Recession, the newly minted money isn‘t going to go towards repairing banks‘ balance sheets – it‘s going into the financial markets, lifting up asset prices, and over to the real economy. So far, it‘s only PPI that‘s showing signs of inflation in the pipeline – soon to be manifest according to the CPI methodology as well.

Any deflation scare in such an environment stands low prospects of success.

Continuing:

(…) For deflation to succeed, a stock market crash followed by a depression has to come first. And as inflation is firing on just one cylinder now (asset price inflation not accompanied by labor market pressures), it isn‘t yet strong enough to derail the stock bull run. The true inflation is a 2022-3 story, which is when we would be likely in a full blown financial repression and bond yields capped well above 2% while inflation rate could run at double that figure. Then, the Fed wouldn‘t be engaged in a twist operation, but in yield curve control, which the precious metals would love, for they love low nominal and negative real rates.

As I wrote on Twitter, it‘s a question of time when gold starts anticipating the policy turn, snifffing it out just like the Fed having to abandon hawkish positions of late 2018, or the runup to the repo crisis of autumn 2019. We got quite a few decoupling signs, some on prolonged basis, but gold isn‘t yet leading commodities the way it did both before and after the corona deflationary shock.

Let‘s not forget about the currencies and arbitrage opportunities there – the yen carry trade is still very much alive, making it a no brainer to borrow in declining currency while parking the proceeds elsewhere – and the one-way trading in $USDJPY in 2021 is a fitting testament thereof. A powerful argument against deflation on our doorstep, by the way.

Quite to the (deflationary shock) contrary at the moment – both commodities and precious metals are under pressure in today‘s premarket session. Another undoing of the miners‘ outperformance?

Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com).

S&P 500 Outlook

Daily consolidation on average volume – no hinting at serious troubles down the road. Buy the dip mentality still rules the day.

Credit Markets

High yield corporate bonds (HYG ETF) chart looks a bit tired to the upside – the bulls had to defend against a serious downswing yesterday first. Contracting volume precedes rising volume, and the best the bulls can hope for, is sideways trading coupled with downswing rejection followed by another move higher.

Technology and Value

Technology (XLK ETF) repelled an intraday downswing while value stocks (VTV ETF) merely couldn‘t keep up all the gained ground during the day. So far so good in the run up or base building on the path to new all time highs.

Gold in the Spotlight

The daily resilience in the miners would come under heavy pressure today, and GDX can be expected to close lower. Would they still show outperformance vs. the yellow metal? I wouldn‘t bet the farm on it – it appears the Mar 04 game plan will be tested soon instead.

Miners to gold (black line) still keeps painting a bullish picture on the weekly chart, as it refuses to follow the yellow metal to the downside. Where would it be should the $1,670 support zone get tested again – would that level be sufficient enough to power a rebound?

Silver, Miners and Copper

Silver clearly illustrates the sectoral weakness – the selling waves get harder to repel, and upswing attempts are happening on lower volume. While copper goes sideways, the white metal is breaking lower, and its miners aren‘t showing any strength at all.

Summary

S&P 500 keeps consolidating Friday‘s gains without signs of upcoming, groundbreaking weakness. With volatility at around 20, the path of least resistance remains overall higher – until tech says no more. Again, no hint at that today still.

Gold is again approaching the $1,670 support, and miners‘ performance will send as valuable clues just as before the Mar 08 bottom. Given today‘s downswing, that will be an even more important indication, bearing medium-term consequences as well.

Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for both Stock Trading Signals and Gold Trading Signals.

Thank you,

Monica Kingsley

Stock Trading Signals

Gold Trading Signals

www.monicakingsley.co

mk@monicakingsley.co

All essays, research and information represent analyses and opinions of Monica Kingsley that are based on available and latest data. Despite careful research and best efforts, it may prove wrong and be subject to change with or without notice. Monica Kingsley does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the data or information reported. Her content serves educational purposes and should not be relied upon as advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks and options are financial instruments not suitable for every investor. Please be advised that you invest at your own risk. Monica Kingsley is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading her writings, you agree that she will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make. Investing, trading and speculating in financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Monica Kingsley may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in her writings, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Unbroken is a film that portrays the life of Louis Zamperini. What does a film about an Olympic champion, WWII bomber, and a prisoner of war have to do with being an entrepreneur? If you know the story of Louis Zamperini, then you probably already know: this man had guts.

Louie, as his friends knew him, is an example of perseverance. As a child he was frequently bullied by other children for his Italian origin, which caused him to misbehave and drink alcohol to the disappointment of his parents. His older brother decided to step in and train him to be a long-distance runner — something that would help Louie build discipline and focus. He became so good that when he grew up, he earned the nickname “The Torrence Tornado” (for the Californian city where he was born) and managed to qualify for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In the joust, Louie managed to place eighth in the 5,000 meter race.

Later, this incredible man decided to join the military and become a bomber in a B24 Liberator for the US Air Force on the Pacific front during WW II. In 1943, his plane was severely damaged in combat and crashed into the ocean during a rescue mission.

Louie and two companions were adrift on an inflatable raft for 47 days, enduring storms, a shark attack, the death of one of the survivors and a lack of rations (they ate birds and fish, and drank rainwater).

The athlete and his remaining friend were captured by Japanese sailors and became prisoners of war locked up in different concentration camps. Louie was treated cruelly by the camp chief for being a former Olympian and an American soldier.

One day, two Japanese journalists helped Louie send a message home saying that he was alive (the government had declared him dead at the front). However, the Japanese tried to force him to record anti-American propaganda, to which the soldier refused. The director of the concentration camp had every prisoner there beat him to teach him a lesson.

Louie managed to endure the mistreatment and, at the end of the war, managed to return to his family to tell of his incredible journey.

It was a movie that, in fact, was very real. He had an extraordinary life and refused to give up no matter what the situation. The adventure of an entrepreneur is based on the same character traits that define Zamperini.

Here are five key lessons you can learn from this great character:

1. Luck isn’t needed. Zamperini did not grow up with any skill or advantage. In fact, in many ways, he had disadvantages. His family came to California when he was a child and did not speak any English, which made him an easy target for annoyance. He got into a lot of trouble in his youth. He worked hard to train and become a runner, a situation that eventually led him to the Olympics.

Whether it’s true or myth, the repeating line on the tape is: “If you can take it, you can do it.” That ability to withstand the challenges and obstacles that life throws at you is what defines an entrepreneur. Do not regret the difficulties that life gives you: accept them. Run towards conflict and overcome all challenges. Innovation comes from solving the world’s problems, not from having an easy answer. Be glad that it is difficult: for that reason you will be extremely good.

^{Photo: Louis Zamperini before his death / W ikipedia}

2. Big risks lead to big rewards. It is important that, as an entrepreneur, you get involved in small and calculated risks. Your ability to take and survive risks will help you increase your self-confidence. When you do this, you can develop the courage you need to face future problems.

Zamperini certainly understood that taking risks sometimes leads to failure, but it will pay off big rewards in the end. Taking risks is part of the entrepreneurial journey, and the more you develop the ability to be comfortable with discomfort, the greater your reward.

3. Failure is part of the journey. Never let your failures define you or you will lose the game. As a child, it seemed that this Olympic champion was going to be a failure. He got into fights, drank at eight, and robbed strangers and neighbors. By the time he was a teenager, his parents knew the local police very well.

I wouldn’t call that a great start, but with the support of others and some initiative, Zamperini turned things around. It would have been easy to give up and be defined as a failure, a lost cause. Why are you on the entrepreneurial journey? Don’t let others define your success. You can always find the right support and take the initiative to keep improving. The path of an entrepreneur is never straight, simple or easy.

4. The right support makes all the difference. Speaking of support, it is debatable whether Zamperini would have achieved success at the Olympics without the support of his mentors. It was not only his parents who did not give up on him, his brother, the school coach and even the police became guides to lead him on a path that would eventually lead to the Olympics. Also, remember that you can give that support and motivation to other people who are starting.

5. Never give up. Not only was Zamperini very clear about the message of never giving up, he literally wrote a book about it. At the age of 97, he published a book called Don’t Give Up, Don’t Give In: Lessons From An Extraordinary Life. If anyone is qualified to share advice and wisdom it was this man.

You can learn a little more about the life of this incredible man in the movie Unbreakable (2014):

^{With information from Martha Elena Violante.}