OT - surviving pandemic from personal experience (no trolling, PLEASE)

[Val D.]

I will get my Scotch Tape and scissors out and delete posts.

OK, I believe we have a pretty civilized conversation here. The only real concern I have is you'll be late with 384.16 release.

What applies to a 2-25 employees business is not the same as what applies to a 25-250 employees SMB.

It's exactly the same, @RMerlin, just on a different scale. A small business has to have X amount contingency fund to survive, a 10 times bigger business has to have 10X contingency fund. Amazon founder has $120bln+ personal wealth, for example. He should be able to spend $50bln to support his own business, right? The problem is he probably doesn't want to. This is why an army of delivery drivers risk their own health and lives every day, so he can end up with $140bln+ at the end of 2020, taking personal advantage of the situation. Does it sound right to you?

The owner of one of the companies I worked for has 4 sports cars in his garage for >$1mln. The property itself is >$6mln, perhaps. Another one I know in construction business owns one of the few Ferrari La Ferrari cars in Canada, limited edition of 500 in the world. You can't purchase a new one, they sell on auctions only for >$6mln. Are those guys going to apply for government support too? They exploited thousands of people for years in order to accumulate this wealth but now have issues to give something back to support those people. What I'm talking about here is called greed.

The government has good intentions to help everyone in need. Fair enough. Would you agree though spending your tax money in support of people living in a 10 times more expensive property and driving a car 10 times more expensive than yours? There is statistic available what the average household income is in different areas. Individuals who made 2-3 times the average household income in last 2-3 years should not qualify for any financial support programs. I have no issues whatsoever supporting single parents, elderly people, small family operated businesses, etc. people who really need financial assistance.

 

[heysoundude]

You probably don't see some of the stuff that we have to delete as we come across it or it gets reported by other users... It takes only one bad apple to completely ruin a thread for everyone else involved. So, Tim's original worries there were justified.

Most of us don't, no argument there.
If life's other responsibilities and stresses are heavier than usual for the powers that be around here, mayhaps it's best if people like @Butterfly Bones step in as proxy in the interim (or longer) to keep the peace we've come to enjoy and appreciate around here.

 

[heysoundude]

OK, I believe we have a pretty civilized conversation here. The only real concern I have is you'll be late with 384.16 release.

How about saying "delayed," or "take longer than we've come to expect" rather than "late?"

As to the rest of your post...we're on the same page. Social justice and financial/fiscal conservatism (and equality!) will hopefully make roaring comebacks as a result of what's happening, but rather than holding my breath, I'm doing whatever I can to help it along. Maybe we're in the minority, maybe others haven't yet seen what we do, maybe we're barking up trees that are slated to be turned into toilet paper...only time will tell.

 

[Val D.]

mayhaps it's best if people like @Butterfly Bones step in as proxy

I wouldn't rely on someone with "Bones" in username in this particular situation. Sorry, no way.

 

[heysoundude]

I wouldn't rely on someone with "Bones" in username in this particular situation. Sorry, no way.

That’s a bit paranoid, even if you are attempting humour. No idea what that u/name means to that user, but I have no reason suspect anything sinister based on their actions around here.


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[RMerlin]

The only real concern I have is you'll be late with 384.16 release.

To be late would imply I had a deadline or a timetable of sort, which I don't.

 

[RMerlin]

Amazon founder has $120bln+ personal wealth, for example. He should be able to spend $50bln to support his own business, right?

It doesn't work that way. A large portion of his fortune is company stock, not hard cash. If Amazon loses 20% value overnight, then he also loses 20% of all of his owned stock value. And if he sells these stocks to inject the money in the company, it devalues the company even further, which is what leads to financial crisis on the stock market.

And AFAIK, Amazon hasn't asked for financial support. They even hired more employees a few weeks ago. You are picking a bad example.

To be honest, I'm not in the mood right now to start discussing social justice and finances. And this is indeed off topic for this thread, which is about people sharing their experiences in dealing with the current health crisis. Socio-politic debates are a whole different ball park, one always touchy, and which is also very different based on which country you are in. A canadian's view will almost always clash with that of an American, for instance, so I generally tend to avoid discussing these on a public forum/social media platform/etc...

 

[Val D.]

To be honest, I'm not in the mood right now to start discussing social justice and finances.

Got it.

That’s a bit paranoid, even if you are attempting humour.

No jokes policy, I guess. Sorry @Butterfly Bones.

 

[Val D.]

Let's discuss something else around the pandemic situation:

What's your experience guys with cancelling/refunding airline tickets? The online cancellation process for me resulted in "Thank you!" email only. An attempt to call the airline resulted in 148 people in queue automatic response. Not sure how this thing is going to work.

 

[Butterfly Bones]

I wouldn't rely on someone with "Bones" in username in this particular situation. Sorry, no way.

My user name is a reference to osteoporosis due to chemotherapy six years ago. Good that I am a cancer survivor, though I have many side effects from radiation and chemo that will plague me for the rest of my life.

No offense taken, I'm fairly think skinned and tolerant.

 

[Val D.]

My user name is a reference to...

I know exactly what are you talking about, unfortunately. Part of my decision to shut down operations is based on the fact I know what are you talking about. I would like to continue my life with the same number of people around me, the same people. Stay safe buddy. There was no even slight intention to offend you in any way, you know that.

 

[L&LD]

I went on a '5-minute' shopping spree today that lasted over 3 hours. Bought just under $100 of food for 3 of us.

And it was a great start to the week!

I hope it will last until the weekend. And, I'm not complaining in any way shape or form.

@Val D. the examples you continue to give have no parity for typical people. Even if I do understand the point you are so badly trying to make.

I appreciate all sides to the story, just trying to stick up for the other side.

 

[OzarkEdge]

On another note... State Farm Auto Insurance sent me their usual semi-annual policy and premium due statement in early March, due by the end of April. I paid it early as usual on March 25. Today I received a simple repeat billing statement for same, prepared March 24... still a month before payment is due. I've never been billed twice like this, much less twice so early before the due date, still a month away.

It makes me wonder if they are trying to tickle their cash flow to compensate for the impact of this economic downturn... people who can't pay their auto insurance premium. Think about it... they can send a second 'reminder' bill to their retirement age customers who more likely retain steady income, knowing it will excite many of them to put their check in the mail sooner than later.

The wheels of the bus are coming off, coming off...

OE

 

[heysoundude]

On another note... State Farm Auto Insurance sent me their usual semi-annual policy and premium due statement in early March, due by the end of April. I paid it early as usual on March 25. Today I received a simple repeat billing statement for same, prepared March 24... still a month before payment is due. I've never been billed twice like this, much less twice so early before the due date, still a month away.

It makes me wonder if they are trying to tickle their cash flow to compensate for the impact of this economic downturn... people who can't pay their auto insurance premium. Think about it... they can send a second 'reminder' bill to their retirement age customers who more likely retain steady income, knowing it will excite many of them to put their check in the mail sooner than later.

The wheels of the bus are coming off, coming off...

OE

Those wheels have been vibrating loose for over a decade...some would say since the 70's...
This is reprehensible, your Insurance phishing anecdote, and precisely why I pay monthly. Bankers (that's what Insurance people really are...it's a financial service) are going to have a rough go of things for the next while, and most of it is of their own making. If I wasn't trying to watch my P's and Q's around here, I'd post a bunch of videos about fractional reserve banking to give people something to think about as it pertains to their own sense of wealth, and how that relates to the stock market. I am not joyful about the coming hurt so many people will feel, and why I'm agitating in certain directions.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Those wheels have been vibrating loose for over a decade...some would say since the 70's...

Perhaps, but I'm more interested in these signs of current conditions as they relate to the Covid-19 affect on all of us in one way or another. Macy's, Kohls, the Gap, etc... they are laying off employees... insurance companies... State Farm is shaking their older trees for loose retirement dollars. It's all very interesting.

I just hope the preppers don't activate and do whatever crazy things they're prepared to do.

Rural America is going to get screwed... they've already lost their jobs long ago; they have lost their health care systems; they never got much Internet; and now they're suppose to sit at home and watch their kids lose their already marginal education. By the time Covid reaches their communities, what's left of their regional health care systems may already be in full distress.

OE

 

[dosborne]

By the time Covid reaches their communities, what's left of their regional health care systems may already be in full distress.

That's why "social/physical distancing" to "flatten the curve" buzzwords are so important. Supplies to restock at higher levels will come the issue is holding on until production ramps up. A year from now every household will have a couple thousand n95 masks in the closet.

I just hope the preppers don't activate and do whatever crazy things they're prepared to do.

Sadly, we are already seeing people on the verge of rioting in North America.

 

[OzarkEdge]

That's why "social/physical distancing" to "flatten the curve" buzzwords are so important. Supplies to restock at higher levels will come the issue is holding on until production ramps up.

I trust that most of the technically-inclined folks here understand the math... it's not that complicated. What people are having trouble with is the time frame. Americans have grown far too impatient and near-sighted to see how this slow motion train wreck will play out. The moron in the White House didn't get it until March 29 even though it is on full display in other countries around the world. We are so behind the curve that no amount of supplies may spare our regional health care hubs from overload.

OE

 

[thiggins]

Sadly, we are already seeing people on the verge of rioting in North America.

Cite your source, please.

 

[dosborne]

Cite your source, please.

Too many to list. Fights over toilet paper, fights over line ups at stores, gun and ammunition sales through the roof, Employees striking (justly or not, I'm not judging) ....

Please need to calm down and help each other.

 

[thiggins]

Please need to calm down and help each other.

I agree with that. But I have seen no news reports from credible sources saying that these problems are widespread.