Higgenbotham's Dark Age Hovel

[Higgenbotham]

Bill Gates was the world's richest man every year from 1995 through 2007. Before that, I had read a biography about Bill Gates where he discussed his early vision for Microsoft. It turns out that he has repeated that vision often and it can be referenced from sources other than that biography.

The revolutionary concept of software as an amazing tool was the whole idea that Paul Allen and I built our company around. When Microsoft got started in 1975, our dream was a computer on every desk and in every home.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/bill-gates-o ... technology

Of course, the idea was that there would be a computer on every desk and in every home running Microsoft software with frequent upgrades whereby Gates would receive ongoing payments from every desk and every home in America. I think that mindset was inherent in Bill Gates and never left him.

Perhaps the biography I read (published in 1992) was the first time that vision was put in front of the public, but it was probably before that. In any case, though, I think that the biography was the first time the vision really became mainstream knowledge. After that, every year that Bill Gates was named the richest person in the world, people were reminded of Bill Gates and how he did it. While it would have escaped the notice of most people, it did not escape the notice of those so inclined to want to make a lot of money. Also, it didn't escape the notice of that subset of people that Microsoft and Gates got to where they got not by primarily focusing on making great software but by focusing on how to be the only game in town when it came to software, which came down to the business practices that Bill Gates used.

So between circa 1993 and 2007 a lot of effort was devoted to studying how Bill Gates made it and tailoring ideas to that. As well, Gates latched onto ideas that were consistent with his vision for Microsoft. Instead of putting a computer on every desk and in every home with software as an amazing tool which requires users to pay for the original software and also frequent upgrades, why not a virus in every business and every home which requires the government to pay for an original vaccine and also frequent boosters? Could it be possible that this was a solution looking for multiple problems? Could it be possible that the primary focus was not on finding great solutions but by focusing on how to be the only game in town when it came to a solution? It seems so to me.

Besides the area of vaccines, this business model has been put into practice in numerous ways, mostly by big tech firms, for example the FAANGS - Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google.

[aeden]

https://zerohedge.blogspot.com/2009/03/ ... nings.html
the recent blood bath is not a one off

[Higgenbotham]

Now let's look at Pfizer's most recent annual report to the SEC where there are discussions of business results and risks in which use the word "doses" for the covid vaccine is used.

PFIZER REPORTS FOURTH-QUARTER AND FULL-YEAR 2021 RESULTS

Raises 2022 Revenue Guidance for Comirnaty(1) to Approximately $32 Billion, Reflecting Doses Expected to be Delivered Under Supply Contracts Signed as of Late-January

In 2021, we exceeded our goal of manufacturing 3 billion doses of Comirnaty(1), a monumental and unprecedented achievement by our Global Supply colleagues. Finally, we have prudently deployed our capital through multiple business development transactions in recent months to advance our strategies, always with an eye toward bolstering growth in the latter half of this decade and beyond.

In December 2021, Pfizer and BioNTech announced the EC exercised an option to purchase more than 200 million additional doses of Comirnaty. These optional doses are in addition to the 450 million doses already planned to be delivered in 2022 based on previously signed agreements, bringing the total number of vaccine doses to be delivered to the EC member states in 2022 to more than 650 million.

the risk that we may not be able to successfully develop other vaccine formulations, booster doses or potential future annual boosters or re-vaccinations or new variant-specific vaccines

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data ... 1xex99.htm

[Higgenbotham]

January 31, 2023 03:02 PM EST Pharma

Pfizer's Albert Bourla spells out 'transition year' for Covid products, with sales expected to reach a low point

Nicole DeFeudis

On the heels of a record sales year, Pfizer is bracing for impact as it expects Covid-19 revenue to bottom out in 2023.

That’s due to lower compliance with vaccine recommendations, fewer primary vaccines being administered, and a “significant” government supply that’s expected to last throughout early this year, execs said Tuesday on the company’s Q4 earnings call.

CEO Albert Bourla anticipates $13.5 billion in Comirnaty sales this year, down 64% from 2022, and just $8 billion in Paxlovid revenue, down 58% from 2022.

“We expect 2023 to be a transition year in the US,” he said on the call, adding that the company sold more vaccine and treatment doses this year than were actually used. “This resulted in a government inventory build that we expect to be absorbed sometime in 2023 — probably the second half of the year. Around that time, we expect to start selling Comirnaty through commercial channels at commercial prices.”

Just 15.5% of eligible Americans have received bivalent booster doses, compared to 69.2% who completed their primary series, according to the CDC’s latest data. Last week, the FDA’s vaccines advisory committee voted unanimously in favor of “harmonizing” Covid vaccine compositions, meaning all new vaccine recipients would receive a bivalent shot, regardless of whether they’ve received the primary series.

Even so, only 31% of people in the US received a Covid vaccine this year, and Pfizer expects that number to dip to about 24% in 2023.

Bourla’s expecting a similar slump in Paxlovid sales, due to existing unused government supply. According to data from ASPR updated last week, states have about 4 million unused Paxlovid courses.

The antiviral significantly underperformed this year, missing Bourla’s prior full-year projections by just over $3 billion. Comirnaty seemed to pick up the slack, however, raking in roughly $37.8 billion in global sales, or about $3.8 billion more than Bourla predicted at the end of the third quarter.

“While patient demand for our Covid products is expected to remain strong throughout 2023, much of that demand is expected to be fulfilled by products that were delivered to governments in 2022 and recorded as revenues last year,” CFO David Denton said on the call.

Commercial pricing for both Comirnaty and Paxlovid will likely kick in around the second half of this year, according to Bourla. While the pharma giant previously said it expects to charge between $110 and $130 for the BioNTech-partnered shot (almost quadrupling the price), chief commercial officer Angela Hwang said the team is still “preparing what those pricing scenarios could look like” for Paxlovid and will “share more at the right time.”

The Pfizer team is expecting Covid sales to pick back up in the next couple years — and if all goes according to plan, a successful combination shot for flu and Covid-19 would “bring the percentage of Americans receiving the Covid-19 vaccine closer to the portion of people getting flu shots, which is currently about 50%,” Bourla said. The company launched a Phase I study for an mRNA-based combo vaccine back in November.

Lower projected Covid sales led Bourla to set his full-year sales expectations in 2023 at $67 billion to $71 billion, down roughly 30% from 2022, which let down some analysts.

“PFE guidance for 2023 provided with 4Q22 results was disappointing despite the company talking down financial prospects in recent weeks,” SVB Securities analysts wrote in a note to investors on Tuesday.

However, when it comes to R&D investment, Bourla’s keeping his foot on the gas. As the CEO said back in November, “It’s all about what’s next.”

That’s why he’s earmarking around $12.4 billion to $13.4 billion for R&D this year, up nearly 9% from last year. It’s all part of his effort to make up for an expected $17 billion loss due to patent expiries between 2025 and 2030.

Last quarter, he spelled out ambitious plans to bring 19 new products or indications to market over the next year and a half. The chief executive highlighted a few of those programs on Tuesday, including potential combo shots for flu, Covid-19 and RSV, an oral GLP-1 candidate for diabetes and obesity, and potential vaccines for Lyme disease and shingles.

https://endpts.com/pfizers-albert-bourl ... low-point/

[Higgenbotham]

Now let's circle back to the Jordon Walker video that was produced by Project Veritas. First, it's very hard to know with any certainty exactly what is going on inside an organization. But I'll take a guess at approximately what happened.

During the initial covid vaccine rollout, Pfizer was likely advised by Boston Consulting Group's Jordon Walker as to how to maximize delivered doses of covid vaccines. After the successful rollout (from Pfizer's point of view), Pfizer brought Walker on staff.

Based on available public information, Pfizer is primarily concerned about maximizing delivered doses of vaccines and is less concerned about vaccine safety and efficacy.

Recently, due to governments having purchased stockpiles of covid vaccines and reduced uptake by the public, it has been projected by Pfizer that covid vaccine sales will plummet in 2023.

As the January 31 deadline for making projections approached, Walker led internal meetings for Pfizer where the plummeting sales of covid vaccines were discussed and brainstorming took place as to how to increase sales. Walker may have emphasized that no idea is off limits and to throw out any idea for increasing sales, even if it seemed too radical to undertake. Walker compiled the ideas and wrote a report summarizing various scenarios under which these ideas would be seriously considered.

Bourla reported during the January 31 conference call which of these ideas are for sure going to be undertaken to increase covid vaccine sales in 2023 and beyond.

[Higgenbotham]

Don't expect this forecast to sober up Wall Street any time soon.

I'm a bit short from an average of 3995 on the S&P. I'm operating as if the S&P will move somewhat higher, but the stock market likes to turn down on the 26th of the month sometimes.

The stock market did just about what I expected it to do today. It came down and tested unchanged, was unable to reverse, then turned around and went to a new high for this year, closing at 4060. I'm a little more short, now averaged in at 4005.

The only short term hope for the bears is a gap down tomorrow. Not likely.

I drew the excess out Friday and took it back down to the baseline. I don't have any positions now but have a couple strategies in mind for my next attempt to be a winner in the lottery economy. Paying close attention to and understanding manipulation and fraud seems to be my best strategy lately for cashing in on the lottery economy. I may show some examples as they come up. There was a good one on Friday; well, probably more than one but one that I saw.

Below is my updated equity curve after the yearly high close today. Manipulation and fraud rule the stock market and lottery economy and nothing is real or has been real for at least 14 years.



I've been holding my own as the market rises, for now.

I think it's likely the stock market topped on Thursday as it pushed close to 4200, then fell back.

As the S&P has risen, despite being short, I've been able to keep my equity steady to slightly higher. However, if it pushes past 4200, I will start taking drawdowns because I will be holding short and increasing my position. Also, if the market continues dropping, I will hold.

[aeden]

Good move as indications are inside sellers penguin marching away. India and China are slowly walking away as the West rot increases from the inside out bloating in the Sun. Senate is in ass covering avarice mode as the ship goes down. The indication are the dumb and smart money are buying into a brainless vacuum. The weather vane has been turning. The mindless middle fools are pointing fingers and as Doctor Peterson indicated they cannot maintain the current situation as Professor Diamond illustrated earlier. GD maps are also in play to predatory class moves. I understand the theta map you suggest. I was in on a cost basis early and it appears to be shifting. The wasting maps are still acelerating and now the zone brain dead crushing.
A couple States that had been post turtles are starting to fathom what is bashing on the front door and they will not make it as they are.

[Higgenbotham]

America's Black Budget & Manipulation Of Markets
Thursday, 27 May 2004, 10:18 am
Column: Catherine Austin Fitts

JP: Catherine, getting back to the other economy that’s out there now, the Credit Bubble, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, all of this Credit financing, what’s your view in terms of how this ends. I can’t help but see this whole thing crumbling, and maybe it’s a private initiative that rises from the ashes such as the things that you’re proposing that rebuild this economy, because certainly we have hollowed out this country in terms of what we’ve done to manufacturing. And you can’t create wealth by just printing money and borrowing money.

CA: Right. I think there are two scenarios. One is the bust, which is this thing keeps going as long as it can be financed by the U.S. governmental apparatus, and at some point, you know, as the Japanese and everyone else says we’re not buying any more of this, we’re not taking more dollars, the thing busts. And when it busts, what you’re going to have is, it’s going to be 1929 but worse. Because in 1929, there was a lot of social capital in America. It was a much kinder, gentler place I think than it is now. And you had many more people that knew how to grow their own food, or knew how to function. So one scenario is the bust.

The other scenario though Jim is the Orwellian scenario, which is we’ve reached a point, and I’ve written many articles about this, where rather than let financial assets adjust, the powers that be now have the control of the economy through the banking system and through the governmental apparatus, they can simply steal more money, keep financial assets, you know whether it’s the stock market pumped up, the derivatives going, or the gold price manipulated down. And they simply liquidate all living things rather than let the economy go bust. In other words, you can adjust to your economy not by letting the value of the stock market or financial assets fall, but you can use warfare and organized crime to liquidate and steal whatever it is you need to keep the game going. And that’s the kind of Orwellian scenario whereby you can basically keep this thing going, but in a way that leads to a highly totalitarian government and economy … corporate feudalism.

https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0405/S00268.htm

This phase (the other scenario or Orwellian scenario) is also coming to an end soon in my opinion. That only works until you bleed the periphery completely dry and I think that's been accomplished.

References would be Michael Burry's twitter comments of a few months ago about how personal savings are being burned through and my posts on earlier pages about the Christmas Light Indicator and a few posts following that.

[Higgenbotham]

There is a third observation that should have been added to what was initially said. I think many who haven't been in the corporate workforce for some time would find it hard to believe Pfizer would actually hire Jordon Walker and, based on that bias, would believe the Project Veritas video is probably a hoax. That was addressed a few pages back just hours before the Project Veritas video was released:

Does the best person get the job? No.

And it's gotten much worse since this article was written in 1987. I think nowadays the standard is for 9s to hire only 5s or less.

Not sure I want to wade into the Jordon Trishtan Walker story. But he is a good starting point for me to collect my thoughts about everything that is happening today and what it means and where it came from and where it is going.

Mr. Walker thought he was on a date and was trying to impress his date. He did not know actual details about what he was talking about. He seemed to lack a moral compass—but that sort of omission appears to be extremely common these days.

Mr. Walker is the 2023 version of a Valley Girl, which means his success in society is an enigma to those of us who are older and befuddled/appalled by what passes for popular culture and competence these days. See #4 below.

The Boston Consulting Group, one of the world’s largest business consulting corporations, where Senator Mitt Romney, the RINO from Utah or was it Massachusetts cut his teeth is not the type of place where morals fit well.

Believe it or not, here is how the Boston Consulting Group advertises for employees:

Beyond conventional culture

A diverse workforce with a combination of unique backgrounds and cultures, we’re united by our common purpose and values, curious minds, keen intellect, and powerful motivation to make a difference. If you’re ready to use your instincts and imagination to drive meaningful action, then come unlock your potential and join our global community.

Missing from the job description: knowledge and hard work. Mr. Jordon Walker was using his imagination while looking for action and he got it, but not the kind he was looking for. He will probably have to change his identity to ever get another job. I feel kind of sorry for him.

https://alethonews.com/2023/01/28/fda-c ... ty-system/

[aeden]

They seen daylight and flatly refused it again.
They are now chained inside the cave bowels in full knowledge.

Before as in 1687 the governor of New France, Jacques-René de Brisay de Denonville, seized, chained,
and shipped 50 Iroquois chiefs from Fort Frontenac to Marseille, France, to be used as galley slaves.
Americans are fools chained to fools in plain sight.