All Purpose Coronavirus Discussion VIII: mmvvpp Memorial Thread (No Election Talk)

[Hollywood Cannon]

They all deserve whatever they get.

I hear Jenny got five pairs of jeggings and some new tops for 20% off since she had her reward card!

 

[Starat327]

I hear Jenny got five pairs of jeggings and some new tops for 20% off since she had her reward card!

Real winners just wait til cyber Monday.

 

[BernieParent]

If someone is a true follower of any religion they should value human life more than their own selfish desire for communal worship in the middle of a pandemic. Problem is, most people are hypocrites.

Two questions:
- Do you think there are unselfish benefits of communal worship?
- Do you view the question of safety and communal worship as a spectrum or a binary issue (value life or have live worship)?

 

[Embiid]

Meanwhile as the economy is restructured to favor corporate monoliths. But it's all good according to the Treasury sec, the small fish can still borrow cheap printed money and pile on the debt.

A street in Denver sags under the weight of Covid-19

 

[Embiid]

Real winners just wait til cyber Monday.

Party party party in da house

Black Friday shopping in stores craters 52% during pandemic as e-commerce sales surge

 

[BiggE]

I hear Jenny got five pairs of jeggings and some new tops for 20% off since she had her reward card!

Yeah, but her number is still on the bathroom wall.

 

[Embiid]

Japan for you. .a sexless overworked society with lots of Emos and aging population.

In Japan, more people died from suicide last month than from Covid in all of 2020 - CNN

 

[Starat327]

Japan for you. .a sexless overworked society with lots of Emos and aging population.

In Japan, more people died from suicide last month than from Covid in all of 2020 - CNN

Yeah but they have dolls who don't talk back.

 

[Appleyard]

Japan for you. .a sexless overworked society with lots of Emos and aging population.

In Japan, more people died from suicide last month than from Covid in all of 2020 - CNN

One of my best friends - who is European - works in Japan in a diplomatic role that is paid for by her home nation, but in which she is managed by Japanese. (she speaks fluently)

The work culture seems horrific.

Her Grandma died and her Mum got cancer and had to have a serious operation and they basically tried to not let her have any time off to go back to Europe...despite her working way over her paid hours and having holidays available.

Her home country eventually basically intervened to tell them to go and f*** themselves and give her a week off both times. If it had not been for that she would have missed her Grandma's funeral.

As it was she could not be with her when she passed as they basically held up her leave when she put it in and she arrived home a day after her Grandma passed as a result.


The two years have set her up fantastically financially, and the role she has been doing has made her CV look amazing - she will be able to walk into so many roles when she leaves, and she loves Japan...

but as a friend I can see the immense toll that it has put on her from a mental perspective. She is someone who is too amenable at times to others, and works herself super hard even without outside pressure...

but if it were me I cannot imagine not having got myself put in jail for putting my managers head through a window.

And if she were not such a strong person with a good support network... sheesh. Even with a very secure life outside of work she has 100% been in states of effective depression at times over the last few years.

 

[Starat327]

One of my best friends - who is European - works in Japan in a diplomatic role that is paid for by her home nation, but in which she is managed by Japanese. (she speaks fluently)

The work culture seems horrific.

Her Grandma died and her Mum got cancer and had to have a serious operation and they basically tried to not let her have any time off to go back to Europe...despite her working way over her paid hours and having holidays available.

Her home country eventually basically intervened to tell them to go and f*** themselves and give her a week off both times. If it had not been for that she would have missed her Grandma's funeral.

As it was she could not be with her when she passed as they basically held up her leave when she put it in and she arrived home a day after her Grandma passed as a result.


The two years have set her up fantastically financially, and the role she has been doing has made her CV look amazing - she will be able to walk into so many roles when she leaves, and she loves Japan...

but as a friend I can see the immense toll that it has put on her from a mental perspective. She is someone who is too amenable at times to others, and works herself super hard even without outside pressure...

but if it were me I cannot imagine not having got myself put in jail for putting my managers head through a window.

And if she were not such a strong person with a good support network... sheesh. Even with a very secure life outside of work she has 100% been in states of effective depression at times over the last few years.

This is like every job in America these days, too.

 

[Appleyard]

This is like every job in America these days, too.

Yeh. I have heard about how American work practice in general is pretty unhealthy too.

I cannot complain. Basically get 30 days holiday a year that can take anytime within reason. I switch my work phone off on Friday at 5pm and dont turn it back on until Monday at 9am.

And if I have to work until say 9pm one day? Well... I dont mind... but I am taking 4 hours back and not working after say 1pm on Friday.

My old job in Denmark we had NO LIMIT on holidays. Like none apart from "yeh, dont take any when we have our ~2 crunch periods over the year on funding applications or in the middle of project final events". Just operated on a trust system. And it worked really well tbh. Only had 14 people in the office though so easy to keep on top of.

Presenteeism is the f***ing worst. Like if you get your job done to a good level who give a f*** how many hours you do. Makes you more efficient anyway haha. And then if I work say 4-5 hours a day I am working 4-5 hours a day solid and not spending half my day daydreaming or checking the internet.

 

[Starat327]

Yeh. I have heard about how American work practice in general is pretty unhealthy too.

I cannot complain. Basically get 30 days holiday a year that can take anytime within reason. I switch my work phone off on Friday at 5pm and dont turn it back on until Monday at 9am.

And if I have to work until say 9pm one day? Well... I dont mind... but I am taking 4 hours back and not working after say 1pm on Friday.

My old job in Denmark we had NO LIMIT on holidays. Like none apart from "yeh, dont take any when we have our ~2 crunch periods over the year on funding applications or in the middle of project final events". Just operated on a trust system. And it worked really well tbh. Only had 14 people in the office though so easy to keep on top of.

Presenteeism is the f***ing worst. Like if you get your job done to a good level who give a f*** how many hours you do. Makes you more efficient anyway haha. And then if I work say 4-5 hours a day I am working 4-5 hours a day solid and not spending half my day daydreaming or checking the internet.

Yeah, it can be brutal here. COVID only made things worse as companies cut people and then expected the others that didn't get cut to just pick up the slack. And really, you didnt have an option not to because there weren't really any jobs to move into, and the government assistance was pretty much nonexistent.

Outside of COVID, it's still pretty rough. Admittedly, I suffer from an anxiety disorder that makes me feel like I always have to do more, but 10-12 hour days are pretty much the norm. Im not sure if I get enough vacation comparatively, but it doesn't really matter because I never feel like I can actually take it- a week off just means I have to make up a week's worth if work the following week. I always have to burn through my vacation at years end before I lose it.

I have the occasional day where I can do a 4-5 hour day and shut it down, but they are pretty few and far between.

 

[FlyerNutter]

Yeah, it can be brutal here. COVID only made things worse as companies cut people and then expected the others that didn't get cut to just pick up the slack. And really, you didnt have an option not to because there weren't really any jobs to move into, and the government assistance was pretty much nonexistent.

Outside of COVID, it's still pretty rough. Admittedly, I suffer from an anxiety disorder that makes me feel like I always have to do more, but 10-12 hour days are pretty much the norm. Im not sure if I get enough vacation comparatively, but it doesn't really matter because I never feel like I can actually take it- a week off just means I have to make up a week's worth if work the following week. I always have to burn through my vacation at years end before I lose it.

I have the occasional day where I can do a 4-5 hour day and shut it down, but they are pretty few and far between.

Worker rights have drastically declined imo over the last 10 years. I’m sure it’s longer than that.

It’s a little weird to me how it’s not made as more of an issue and we somehow idolize guys like Bezos or McMillan but hey.

 

[kudymen]

eh... social distancing what?

 

[Appleyard]

Yeah, it can be brutal here. COVID only made things worse as companies cut people and then expected the others that didn't get cut to just pick up the slack. And really, you didnt have an option not to because there weren't really any jobs to move into, and the government assistance was pretty much nonexistent.

Outside of COVID, it's still pretty rough. Admittedly, I suffer from an anxiety disorder that makes me feel like I always have to do more, but 10-12 hour days are pretty much the norm. Im not sure if I get enough vacation comparatively, but it doesn't really matter because I never feel like I can actually take it- a week off just means I have to make up a week's worth if work the following week. I always have to burn through my vacation at years end before I lose it.

I have the occasional day where I can do a 4-5 hour day and shut it down, but they are pretty few and far between.

Here COVID has, well, I would say had different effects on different people.

The government has been paying 80% of everyones salaries who cant work, with the businesses given option to top that up with the other 20%, and guaranteeing small businesses (like my Dads) a decent % of what they made last year if can prove it. And most people now working from home, or on furlough.

That will run until March. Is the same across most European nations. So it has meant that way less people have lost jobs or have to worry as much.

Of my closest ~15 friends in the UK only 1 has been really negatively affected to the point it could screw him. And that is because he relied on a second income being a musician and running an events company with his friend... he had his mortgage and car tied into that... and now that money is mostly gone. But he should *just* be able to manage.

My Dad was screwed for maybe ~3 months... but the last few has actually had more business than usual while getting payments as well from government for his small business.

BUT some bigger businesses who generally employ people in primary industries fired people anyway.

There are still jobs going for a lot of "Middle-upper tier" roles. But primary roles have nothing available. So if someone does not have qualifications right now, or has them but no experiences, the market is tight.

So for example a lot of my friends who are ~28-32 and have 5+ years of experience behind them could get a new role without much hassle. But my 25 year old brother and 22 year old sister wont be getting anything for months on end.




One of my best friends has OCD and that affects him in a similar way with working himself hard, not taking holidays etc. Puts a strain on him at times.



I feel like in the last 10 years here so much progress has been made in terms of balancing personal and work life, and businesses "caring" about wellbeing. Albeit part of that is that if a business does not care and has shitty conditions... they wont get the best workers as people will just up and leave to other places.

As it is I generally apply for a few new jobs every year. Even if happy with where I am. See what is out there and give a chance to push up current salary. When late spring/summer rolls round this year I will start looking for example.

But I am blessed with an extreme amount of flexibility and very little in the way of ties. If I see a job in a different City or Country even will maybe go for it if like the sound of it. I know that is quite rare.

 

[Embiid]

One of my best friends - who is European - works in Japan in a diplomatic role that is paid for by her home nation, but in which she is managed by Japanese. (she speaks fluently)

The work culture seems horrific.

Her Grandma died and her Mum got cancer and had to have a serious operation and they basically tried to not let her have any time off to go back to Europe...despite her working way over her paid hours and having holidays available.

Her home country eventually basically intervened to tell them to go and f*** themselves and give her a week off both times. If it had not been for that she would have missed her Grandma's funeral.

As it was she could not be with her when she passed as they basically held up her leave when she put it in and she arrived home a day after her Grandma passed as a result.


The two years have set her up fantastically financially, and the role she has been doing has made her CV look amazing - she will be able to walk into so many roles when she leaves, and she loves Japan...

but as a friend I can see the immense toll that it has put on her from a mental perspective. She is someone who is too amenable at times to others, and works herself super hard even without outside pressure...

but if it were me I cannot imagine not having got myself put in jail for putting my managers head through a window.

And if she were not such a strong person with a good support network... sheesh. Even with a very secure life outside of work she has 100% been in states of effective depression at times over the last few years.

I had a Japanese friend from NYC that was a musician. The woman had an amazing work ethic but the poor woman had no social life pretty much. She would wear herself out. I lost touch with her for various reasons.....I hope she is ok.

 

[Embiid]

Here COVID has, well, I would say had different effects on different people.

The government has been paying 80% of everyones salaries who cant work, with the businesses given option to top that up with the other 20%, and guaranteeing small businesses (like my Dads) a decent % of what they made last year if can prove it. And most people now working from home, or on furlough.

That will run until March. Is the same across most European nations. So it has meant that way less people have lost jobs or have to worry as much.

Of my closest ~15 friends in the UK only 1 has been really negatively affected to the point it could screw him. And that is because he relied on a second income being a musician and running an events company with his friend... he had his mortgage and car tied into that... and now that money is mostly gone. But he should *just* be able to manage.

My Dad was screwed for maybe ~3 months... but the last few has actually had more business than usual while getting payments as well from government for his small business.

BUT some bigger businesses who generally employ people in primary industries fired people anyway.

There are still jobs going for a lot of "Middle-upper tier" roles. But primary roles have nothing available. So if someone does not have qualifications right now, or has them but no experiences, the market is tight.

So for example a lot of my friends who are ~28-32 and have 5+ years of experience behind them could get a new role without much hassle. But my 25 year old brother and 22 year old sister wont be getting anything for months on end.




One of my best friends has OCD and that affects him in a similar way with working himself hard, not taking holidays etc. Puts a strain on him at times.



I feel like in the last 10 years here so much progress has been made in terms of balancing personal and work life, and businesses "caring" about wellbeing. Albeit part of that is that if a business does not care and has shitty conditions... they wont get the best workers as people will just up and leave to other places.

As it is I generally apply for a few new jobs every year. Even if happy with where I am. See what is out there and give a chance to push up current salary. When late spring/summer rolls round this year I will start looking for example.

But I am blessed with an extreme amount of flexibility and very little in the way of ties. If I see a job in a different City or Country even will maybe go for it if like the sound of it. I know that is quite rare.

OCD and work anxiety is torturous. I am pretty much a perfectionist.....I tend to get into situations where I overwork myself but have learned to manage it better and I am in a much better work position these days. I have a lot of autonomy and I pretty much answer to myself which given my work habits is more than enough. I had a terrible micro-manager boss that made my life miserable....had to do a lateral to extricate myself. Luckily his boss which was my old boss took care of me and knew they made a mistake promoting the guy despite having a history of being a terrible boss. I stress the word "boss" because that is all he was....had no EI or leadership skills. A complete jerk......

 

[Appleyard]

OCD and work anxiety is torturous. I am pretty much a perfectionist.....I tend to get into situations where I overwork myself but have learned to manage it better and I am in a much better work position these days. I have a lot of autonomy and I pretty much answer to myself which given my work habits is more than enough. I had a terrible micro-manager boss that made my life miserable....had to do a lateral to extricate myself. Luckily his boss which was my old boss took care of me and knew they made a mistake promoting the guy despite having a history of being a terrible boss. I stress the word "boss" because that is all he was....had no EI or leadership skills. A complete jerk......

Thankfully in the 7 jobs I have had in my life - not counting working for my Dad haha - I have only had 1 "bad" boss.

And he liked me for some reason so even though he was a narcissistic prick was generally okay with me even if awful to others.

Have had a few incompetent bosses. But they were nice people.

My manager now is awesome. He is Canadian actually. And my boss in Denmark was the best. Actually a legit friend to this day despite the ~15 year age difference.

 

[sigma six]

May the Force be with you David Prowse.

Also had a minor role playing the rich guy's bodyguard in A Clockwork Orange. RIP Mr. Prowse.

 

[Starat327]

Here COVID has, well, I would say had different effects on different people.

The government has been paying 80% of everyones salaries who cant work, with the businesses given option to top that up with the other 20%, and guaranteeing small businesses (like my Dads) a decent % of what they made last year if can prove it. And most people now working from home, or on furlough.

That will run until March. Is the same across most European nations. So it has meant that way less people have lost jobs or have to worry as much.

Of my closest ~15 friends in the UK only 1 has been really negatively affected to the point it could screw him. And that is because he relied on a second income being a musician and running an events company with his friend... he had his mortgage and car tied into that... and now that money is mostly gone. But he should *just* be able to manage.

My Dad was screwed for maybe ~3 months... but the last few has actually had more business than usual while getting payments as well from government for his small business.

BUT some bigger businesses who generally employ people in primary industries fired people anyway.

There are still jobs going for a lot of "Middle-upper tier" roles. But primary roles have nothing available. So if someone does not have qualifications right now, or has them but no experiences, the market is tight.

So for example a lot of my friends who are ~28-32 and have 5+ years of experience behind them could get a new role without much hassle. But my 25 year old brother and 22 year old sister wont be getting anything for months on end.




One of my best friends has OCD and that affects him in a similar way with working himself hard, not taking holidays etc. Puts a strain on him at times.



I feel like in the last 10 years here so much progress has been made in terms of balancing personal and work life, and businesses "caring" about wellbeing. Albeit part of that is that if a business does not care and has shitty conditions... they wont get the best workers as people will just up and leave to other places.

As it is I generally apply for a few new jobs every year. Even if happy with where I am. See what is out there and give a chance to push up current salary. When late spring/summer rolls round this year I will start looking for example.

But I am blessed with an extreme amount of flexibility and very little in the way of ties. If I see a job in a different City or Country even will maybe go for it if like the sound of it. I know that is quite rare.

Yeah there hasn't been much in terms of government assistance here. Everyone got like 1200 bucks a few months back (some of us less) and then its up to each insividual state to dole out support. New Jersey was giving people on unemployment an additional $600 a week, for example. But otherwise, pretty much couldn't have handled the business end of this any worse.

America is just woefully behind in terms of work life balance. Very few companies offer anything remotely resembling it. The only time in the last 10 years that I was truly "off" is when I went to the Bahamas and Ireland a few years back- and thats only because work didn't want to pay the data rates for international calls.

 

[Appleyard]

Yeah there hasn't been much in terms of government assistance here. Everyone got like 1200 bucks a few months back (some of us less) and then its up to each insividual state to dole out support. New Jersey was giving people on unemployment an additional $600 a week, for example. But otherwise, pretty much couldn't have handled the business end of this any worse.

America is just woefully behind in terms of work life balance. Very few companies offer anything remotely resembling it. The only time in the last 10 years that I was truly "off" is when I went to the Bahamas and Ireland a few years back- and thats only because work didn't want to pay the data rates for international calls.

Yeh, I have actually thought about moving over to the US on a few separate occasions. Even applied for a job in New York a few years back that I did not get.

But I guess I would have been less tentative to apply for more if I had a better perception of the cost of living and work-life balance.

Like right now in the UK - which is not as good as say Scandinavia, Switzerland, Austria and some other Euro countries in my eyes in terms of cost of living, disposable income and work-life balance - I pretty much have 35% of my wage per year that is "disposable" after my tax, rent, bills and monthly food bill.

I believe London is the only city in Europe where the cost of living is similar to the big US cities. Places like Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen even are cheaper because of way lower rent and grocery prices.

And while the wages in big US cities are generally (apart from in Norway and Switzerland) more to make up for some of the cost of living, this is not linear across all sectors and careers.

For me the wage increase and lower taxes would almost certainly not make up for the cost of living bump, and in turn I believe I would have less disposable income going off the couple of times I plugged it all into an excel!

Though ofc for some careers and industries the US is better for sure. With higher wage ceilings for similar roles that heavily outweigh the extra cost of living and give more disposable income.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Yeh, I have actually thought about moving over to the US on a few separate occasions. Even applied for a job in New York a few years back that I did not get.

But I guess I would have been less tentative to apply for more if I had a better perception of the cost of living and work-life balance.

Like right now in the UK - which is not as good as say Scandinavia, Switzerland, Austria and some other Euro countries in my eyes in terms of cost of living, disposable income and work-life balance - I pretty much have 35% of my wage per year that is "disposable" after my tax, rent, bills and monthly food bill.

I believe London is the only city in Europe where the cost of living is similar to the big US cities. Places like Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen even are cheaper because of way lower rent and grocery prices.

And while the wages in big US cities are generally (apart from in Norway and Switzerland) more to make up for some of the cost of living, this is not linear across all sectors and careers.

For me the wage increase and lower taxes would almost certainly not make up for the cost of living bump, and in turn I believe I would have less disposable income going off the couple of times I plugged it all into an excel!

Though ofc for some careers and industries the US is better for sure. With higher wage ceilings for similar roles that heavily outweigh the extra cost of living and give more disposable income.

The hardest adjustment for you will be the lesser pork rind selection. The trick is getting them from Hispanic markets.

 

[trostol]

he walked away

 

[Appleyard]

he walked away

Crazy to see a car go up like that. Has not happened in 25+ years. Seemingly fuel lines ruptured in a way not supposed to.

Only fires I remember have been in the pits with Benetton (happened to Verstappen and Schumacher in same year) and their dodgy fuel rig in the 1990s that they removed a safety ring from to increase flow. Jordan did the same and almost set Irvine on fire I believe. And Schumacher in 2003 in similar situation with excess fuel. Raikonnen a bit later too in pits.

And then Koivalianen with a fire a few years back when something went on track and he parked it.

 

[Jack Straw]

Crazy to see a car go up like that. Has not happened in 25+ years. Seemingly fuel lines ruptured in a way not supposed to.

Only fires I remember have been in the pits with Benetton (happened to Verstappen and Schumacher in same year) and their dodgy fuel rig in the 1990s that they removed a safety ring from to increase flow. Jordan did the same and almost set Irvine on fire I believe. And Schumacher in 2003 in similar situation with excess fuel. Raikonnen a bit later too in pits.

And then Koivalianen with a fire a few years back when something went on track and he parked it.

Lauda of course.