Alibaba Boasts Over $70 Billion Sales as First Post-Virus Singles' Day Nears End (reuters.com) 24
China's Alibaba said orders on its e-commerce platforms during the Singles' Day shopping extravaganza had exceeded $70 billion by Wednesday evening, as lockdown-weary consumers splashed out on as many as 16 million discounted goods. From a report: The world's biggest sales event -- eclipsing Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the United States -- spans four main days this year, and so far has brought sellers 20 times as many orders by value than Amazon.com's two-day global Prime Day last month. Such is its size that its performance is widely considered indicative of China's post-virus economic recovery. "Because of COVID-19, many Chinese cannot go overseas," Vice President Liu Bo told reporters. "This actually stimulates online consumption." So far, the performance is likely a relief for Alibaba Group Holding after losing about 10% of its market value last week when regulators scuppered the listing of fintech affiliate Ant Group.
Some good bargains (Score:2)
Unlike "Prime Day" there were some actually good bargains on Singles Day, at least on AliExpress. Xiaomi had some nice offers on vaccum cleaners and air purifiers.
"Post" means "After" (Score:3)
It does not mean "during"
This is not post-virus, this is in-virus.
Re:"Post" means "After" (Score:4, Informative)
It is (currently) post in China, and since single's day is mainly chiense, that does seem to be the relevant part. I guess you could argue that it could come back, but currently it is not a big problem in China... Note that they, as I understand it, did a style of lockdown that would be impossible here (i.e. locked people in their homes and brought them food through the window). I am not advocating that style of lockdown, but it does sound like it would be effective.
What does "inscrutable" mean? (Score:2)
You should use a spelling checker, but I still wish I had a positive mod point to give you.
What worries me about China is that they were so ready to react that strongly. Are they expecting some kind of zombie apocalypse?
Actually, that's not the only thing that worries me about China... Today's big worry is wondering why they delayed their stock market crackdown until after the American election. They didn't want to risk roiling the stock markets last month? Is that evidence they actually hoped for a victory
Mutation rate (Score:3)
Especially the dangers of new variations of Covid-19.
Disclaimer: we [github.io] and our colleagues [nextstrain.org] study this shit.
It's not varying as much as other viruses. Colleagues mention a 1:4 slower mutation speed compared to influenza and even that one has a vaccine that is good to cover a season (at least as long as the correct mixture of strain was predicted for the season).
In SARS-CoV-2 case, that mean you see a new nucleic acid on the average every 2-3 people along the chain of transmission.
For example, the new RNA-signature-based vaccine strikes me as a quite brittle solution.
mRNA is interesting from the point of view of *how* it is produced (simple RNA from D
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Oh dear. An actual expert! Now my questions can expose the full depths of my ignorance! Even on Slashdot 2020 I run into actual experts from time to time... Gives me hope?
But first I need to start with a clarification. I kind of hate to go there, but this stuff should be especially obvious to you... You probably have the deluxe CRISPR editing kit in your lab if you're on that end of things. But I am NOT worrying too much about natural and random mutations. (And even with the disclaimer I already feel like t
Bio nerd! (Score:2)
Oh dear. An actual expert! {...} Even on Slashdot 2020 I run into actual experts from time to time... Gives me hope?
Well, it was supposed to be a news site for nerds (before getting taken over by political trolls and cam girls spam).
The main part I am having trouble understanding is the linkage between describing the vaccine as based on RNA and the immune system response they are trying to prime with the vaccine.
Okay, so lot's dive into this.
My fuzzy understanding is that the immune system normally works at the level of looking for proteins, not reacting to sequences of nucleic acids, so that part of it gets much fuzzier to me.
Yes, in vaccines, you want to train the immune system against what visible to it on the surface of a viral particle, and that would be protein and optionnally polysacharides (polymers of sugar) linked on top of those proteins.
(But in theory, antibodies are quite versatile and could bind to anything to which the provide a "lock / key" binding pocket. So it's not
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I thank you for your extremely informative reply and I wish I had a bestowable mod point for you. Not sure why I never get them these years. Considering the length of your reply, I speculate that you are working on a textbook and crafting explanations for the tricky points.
Having said that, I feel like I have to apologize for not spending enough time with the background information in your reply. Yes, I noticed you forgot the lovely milkmaids, and yes, I am embarrassed to have confused ribosomes with mitoch
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In China it IS post virus. It's situation normal over there save for the travel ban with the rest of the world. People are still wearing masks but for the most part the major cities have returned to being a sea of bustling activity.
I don't for a moment believe the numbers that came out, but certainly the country has moved on from considering the virus an economic impact.
Although 3 weeks ago one city had a handful of cases, but reports are that China sent out the military and door-to-door tested the entire c
Re: "Post" means "After" (Score:2)
The virus is a problem for the world, albeit much more of one for some nations than others. Until it goes away it is still a problem.
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No it's not. It's only a problem for the world if you don't isolate yourself from it. China is post virus. Australia and New Zealand are post virus. People are acting normally in those countries and not suffering from it. They have isolated the world (currently travelling to Australia results in a police supervised self funded 2 week quarantine in a hotel of the government's choosing). But inside the country they are very much post virus enjoying beachs, movies, shopping centre, partying in pubs just like n
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No it's not. It's only a problem for the world if you don't isolate yourself from it. China is post virus.
Remember that you wrote those words. You're gonna find out that they are bananas.
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I have been telling myself that for many months but China (and many other countries) didn't just re-open yesterday.
Dealing with the virus is only difficult in countries which are dead set against government involvement in their lives. I'm reminded of the classic difference between say the USA and Western Australia.
USA:
Government: *opens mouth but before they can even say something*
People: DON'T TELL US WHAT TO DO.
Result: 142000 cases yesterday
Western Australia:
Government: Travel ban, movement ban, closing t
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This is not about comparisons. I didn't even mention the USA. That's your rant. I don't disagree with what you say about it, but it's wholly irrelevant to this discussion.
Until the whole world solves the Covid problem, it's going to keep cropping up in places it was thought to have been solved, and that means there's going to have to continue to be restrictions on travel, mask-wearing requirements, test and trace, etc etc.
I think we are all getting batty. (Score:2)
For those who didn't loose their job, but they are stuck at home, without many of the activities that we do to reduce our stress healthfully. It creates a boom for consumerism, in where in 2019 it was on a decline. During 2020, I had made a lot of purchases which I probably wouldn't have made, normally. Upgrading my Phone, and Getting a Smart Watch. Upgrading my gutters, replacing lights fixtures... All because I am mostly stuck in my house, and I am unable to really go out to do things with people (eve
Is it like Black Fri-D-A-Y? (Score:2)
First it was black friDAY.
Then it was black friDAY also on SaturDAY.
Then it was black friDAY from Friday through Sunday.
Then it was black friDAY from Thursday night through Sunday.
Then it was black friDAY from Thursday night through the next WEEK.
This year it is black friDAY all MONTH.
Then stores wonder why no one cares anymore.
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The marketing departments have been asleep at the wheel. Just calling it "Black friweek" or "Black frimonth" would make people talk about it.
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Help Please... (Score:2)
scuppered
fintech
Ant Group