The Money Mustache Community
Other => Off Topic => Topic started by: Jimbo on March 11, 2020, 12:53:51 PM
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Alright MMMers... Time to get out the optimism gun! Panic in the news, stock market going crazy, even the very weird call for public execution of quarantine breakers. I would expect these things from news sources pandering to the masses. And yet I sense panic even on this very forum!
I am personally super ready to move on, and it is reassuring to know that our ADHD news cycle will find something else soon. My bets are around spring/summer time. In the meantime, it is best to ignore the news and carry on as usual.
I am personnally super reassured that this flu is a 'typical' flu, not an atypical flu like the Spanish flu or the H1N1. Those were deadly amongst the young and healthy - unlike these typical flus.
Anybody else wants to chime in with some optimism?
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Well, the fact no one wants to be optimistic about this is definitely in line with the news...
Sheesh, this too, of course, shall pass...
Time to go back under the rock, I guess.
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I'm optimistic that a bunch of us will get a little time off to practice being retire or to do spring projects. Yeah, this virus shall pass.
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This is a good idea for a thread. Thanks.
It sounds like China is really turning things around.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china/chinas-coronavirus-epicenter-sees-single-digit-cases-for-first-time-idUSKBN20Z046
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There's a good chance we'll be able to reduce long-term costs for Social Security and Medicare? Yay?
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China has drastically curbed new cases of COVID-19. We just have to follow suit.
We'll figure it out, be more prudent, then the media will find something else to harp on.
Summer is coming! We've had a few teases of 50 and 60 degree weather. Winter just tends to last about a month too long up here...
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Big Ern (earlyretirementnow.com) often says that the best thing that can happen to an investor is a large downturn early in their investing lifetime. Between that and the fact that my work will allow 100% teleworking in the event of an outbreak here, I have plenty to be optimistic about.
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There's a good chance we'll be able to reduce long-term costs for Social Security and Medicare? Yay?
I guess, if that comforts you... But it seems like a super dark reason to celebrate. Not the optimism I was expecting!
Are you normally this worried about elders dying from the flu? Hundreds of thousands of them die from the flu every year... Sure, it might be more than usual this year and of course it does suck.
All I am trying to say is that we will get over this and panic is not helping.
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There's a good chance we'll be able to reduce long-term costs for Social Security and Medicare? Yay?
I guess, if that comforts you... But it seems like a super dark reason to celebrate. Not the optimism I was expecting!
Are you normally this worried about elders dying from the flu? Hundreds of thousands of them die from the flu every year... Sure, it might be more than usual this year and of course it does suck.
All I am trying to say is that we will get over this and panic is not helping.
Sure, we (as a species) will get over this. Just like Europe got over the plague.*
I have lots of reasons to be optimistic in my life, but the coronavirus is not one of them.
*Not making a direct comparison between the coronavirus and the plague, just illustrating that a pandemic that could literally decimate the elderly population this year if things aren't brought under control is probably not something to be optimistic about. This is not the flu.
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I'm looking forward to the reason to work from home for a few weeks or few months if-and-when it comes. Planning to do more gardening than I have in years. Getting off the constant treadmill of travel for work a couple times a month for a reason completely outside my control is also good.
That said:
I am personnally super reassured that this flu is a 'typical' flu, not an atypical flu like the Spanish flu or the H1N1. Those were deadly amongst the young and healthy - unlike these typical flus.
Just to be clear, this outbreak isn't a typical flu, because it isn't a flu at all. Coronaviruses and influenza (the viruses that cause the flu) are both RNA viruses, but that's like saying I'm a vertebrate and an axolotl is a vertebrate.
This particular coronavirus is related to other coronaviruses that cause SARS (deadly), MERS (extremely deadly), and the common cold (not deadly at all).
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Point taken - this is not a flu. This is more dangerous.
And yet this too shall pass. The mortality rate will be revised to a lower value in 6 months once the dust settles and more data is available.
It will suck for a while.
Things will be better.
Spring is just around the corner.
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The weather is getting nicer. I'm always looking for opportunities to explore CO by motorcycle and on foot, and it looks like I'll get more chances soon.
If we shut down where I work to and all-work-from-home situation, I'll have about an hour of work to do each day, in the morning. Then it's off on my own into the mountains where social distancing is the norm. I'll also get to stop shaving daily, which is pretty fucking awesome.
In a few months I stop paying alimony which is like a $12k annual raise, after taxes.
My kids are at really fun ages and we're going to have loads of quality time this summer!
Also, Iran shot missiles at me this year and I didn't die... so I'm pretty fucking optimistic about that.
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The weather is getting nicer. I'm always looking for opportunities to explore CO by motorcycle and on foot, and it looks like I'll get more chances soon.
If we shut down where I work to and all-work-from-home situation, I'll have about an hour of work to do each day, in the morning. Then it's off on my own into the mountains where social distancing is the norm. I'll also get to stop shaving daily, which is pretty fucking awesome.
In a few months I stop paying alimony which is like a $12k annual raise, after taxes.
My kids are at really fun ages and we're going to have loads of quality time this summer!
Also, Iran shot missiles at me this year and I didn't die... so I'm pretty fucking optimistic about that.
That was amazing! Sounds pretty great indeed.
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My company has enacted mandatory WFH globally though at least the beginning of April. Looking forward to getting to sleep in a bit later each day, and it's easier fit in a few more chores around the house (easy to throw in a load of laundry between meetings) plus some other stuff that normally I get around to on weekends, like baking bread that takes hours/days to proof but very little active work. Also, our jobs are pretty flexible so it's kinda nice being able to duck out at 10am to grab some groceries if I don't have any meetings or urgent/time-sensitive work to be done. That being said, I might have a completely different attitude 3 weeks from now, I might be stir crazy and dying to be back in the office, haha!
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Maybe the economic slowdown from coronavirus will be large enough to help the planet withstand global warming for a couple years.
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1. It has been a great buying opportunity for me so far. I've moved from 93% stocks to 95% stocks over the past two weeks, including today. This gets me closer to my long term asset allocation, gives me something to do rather than fret, and it also gets me to a nice round AA (95/5 just feels better than 93/7 or 97/3).
2. I managed to book two trips this past Sunday using far fewer miles and points than I normally would have to. There are great sales going on because of all the fear in the airline and cruise industries. Added bonus is that I get one fee-free flight change if I want it.
3. My daughter has collected so much in college scholarships that I won't have enough OOP expenses to take full advantage of the American Opportunity Tax Credit. I'll probably use the LLC for her for her first year. This also means that the college funds I had saved will not need to be used, and my kids will get more leftover money when they graduate. (And, she's still up for more scholarships this spring where she may end up literally getting paid to go to college.)
4. My son is interviewing right now for a good-paying job with a great local company, nine months before he graduates. I think he's got a very good chance of a job offer in the next few days.
5. The weather's nice, I'm healthy, and the gym isn't very crowded these days, so I get to use the treadmill nearest the CNBC TV most days. (I don't consider any of what shows up on CNBC to be actionable, but it keeps me up to date on the major happenings of the day financially speaking.)
There's probably more, that's just off the top of my head.
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Weather is getting better (slowly).
Our tax return hit bank today which I transferred into our TFSA's and made a stock buy after lunch. In hindsight I would have waited an hour or so and the price has dropped since. Meh.
Taking a long weekend vacation with wife starting tomorrow morning. Not going far - couple hours up road. Looking forward to getting away for a couple nights.
My old dog took 1st prize in a dog show (not really ... we found the ribbon on the floor of a dog show we went to on the weekend but at 15 years old, he's still our #1)
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Hmmm.
We are no longer sitting on an enormously unreasonable pile of cash because we invested it the past few weeks....regrettably before the latest dives this week
I was part of the rare few approved to work from home for now...because no one knows the effects on immune compromised pregnant women, though they have seen some adverse infant outcomes
My son is going to get his wish for "at home" days instead of "at school" days...as we are likely to pull him from the petri dish called daycare and have grandma watch him for a few days before she flies out to visit the other grandkids, to try to delay me getting the virus.
This prompted me to call my grandma...who is 96 years old, medically frail, likely to blow away with the wind, and thinks she'll go to h3ll if she misses the large crowd gathering location called mass.
More bonding time with my folks....who have agreed to watch my son when daycare inevitably closes, when it's convenient with their schedule. I'm sure 2+ weeks of living with parents/in-laws will be FUN!
My job is secure...because I work for state govt in health care, in a union, and a lot of people were hired after me.
So yeah, it's hard to be optimistic given the major impact to life or wishing others ill (e.g. cheeky SS/Medicare fix above). If you have no one elderly/immune compromised/with medical conditions that you care about, you probably are going to find this a lot easier to blithely dismiss the seriousness of it, than those of us who do.
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Um...this whole mess sucks. It isn't a flu. It is more akin to the SARS of 17 years ago, except much, much more contagious.
But you wanted positives, so:
I work from home, so that's a plus for social distancing.
My hospice volunteer org, community choir, the city council, public libraries, and local museums are all taking social distancing seriously by cancelling or postponing events and meetings.
Our city library system signed up for the Hoopla system, so we have access to that and Libby while we're holing up in our house.
I have enough yarn to make a few sweaters so again, something to do during social distancing.
The other manager at husband's store is horribly sick (fever, chills, hacking cough) so there may be an opportunity for overtime if husband doesn't also get sick.
I did my regular Costco stock-up last week, so we have plenty of toilet paper. I think we can easily avoid a trip to the grocery store until maybe Monday morning, when we'll need some produce.
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I am getting only green lights to quit my job and start my own consulting company.
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So yeah, it's hard to be optimistic given the major impact to life or wishing others ill (e.g. cheeky SS/Medicare fix above). If you have no one elderly/immune compromised/with medical conditions that you care about, you probably are going to find this a lot easier to blithely dismiss the seriousness of it, than those of us who do.
To be clear, I wasn't wishing anybody ill, and I do have elderly relatives that I care about. Yes, my comment was cheeky*, but only to stress the point that this thing is deadly serious (enough to make a dent in the federal budget for those two programs).
*Oddly, using the word cheeky feels cheeky.
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It does suck particularly on the immuno compromised... And I wish all of them to be able to avoid this mess. I have pregnant women and infants in my circle and am avoiding them until further notice. Also planning to do that with the elderly in my circle - this is proving harder as they do not seem to want to isolate.
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My wife is a stay-at-home mom so if Spring Break turns into an extended closure of school she will be fine with the kids.
Meanwhile I'm in a relatively remote location and there's no confirmed cases within hundreds of miles.
By the time I go home I expect all of this to have blown over and to have picked up a bunch of stocks with tax free money on the cheap.
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Maybe the economic slowdown from coronavirus will be large enough to help the planet withstand global warming for a couple years.
There must be adults in China who have never seen a blue sky before in their lifetimes.
Life is still able to go on without all those polluting factories.
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So yeah, it's hard to be optimistic given the major impact to life or wishing others ill (e.g. cheeky SS/Medicare fix above). If you have no one elderly/immune compromised/with medical conditions that you care about, you probably are going to find this a lot easier to blithely dismiss the seriousness of it, than those of us who do.
To be clear, I wasn't wishing anybody ill, and I do have elderly relatives that I care about. Yes, my comment was cheeky*, but only to stress the point that this thing is deadly serious (enough to make a dent in the federal budget for those two programs).
*Oddly, using the word cheeky feels cheeky.
Sorry I wasn't clear online. I didn't take it as you meaning ill will at all! More I saw it as a cheeky/dark humor response to provoke some people in realizing the ill effects of COVID-19.
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Alright MMMers... Time to get out the optimism gun!
Anybody else wants to chime in with some optimism?
I am optimistic when I see the blooming trees and the yellow daffodils in my daily routine. I am optimistic about the fact that when/if I get sick I live in a major metropolitan US city with plenty of drs, nurses and hospitals.
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This is an uplifting story
http://www.rainews.it/dl/rainews/media/Tteam-di-esperti-medici-cinesi-diretti-in-Italia-per-emergenza-Coronavirus-a1079e3e-70c4-4ad6-865f-73ebb9c0f232.html?fbclid=IwAR2oTI5Yu7E3oVbPU53CRaHk84qGhTWA4zCTsyMmr4AJJ2Hsy95s2rCsKZ4#foto-3
China sends a donation of medical supplies as well as a team of medical experts to Italy in the midst of the crisis.
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Optimism. After this drop, the majority of this forum (including myself) will have weathered their first major market drop with actually significantly sizable abouts of money invested. Those who survive will be much better equipped for early retirement and the years / decades leading up.
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Maybe the economic slowdown from coronavirus will be large enough to help the planet withstand global warming for a couple years.
While China's factories were shut down the air quality in Korea was amazing. Now they're all going back to work and the smog is ramping back up.
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Late last night, our governor ordered all preK-12 schools to close for 3 weeks. This morning, the besieged superintendent of one district in our city weighed in with her perspective on Facebook. The many responses from parents were all kind and supportive. The responses to the city's decisions to shut libraries and senior centers and cancel upcoming city council meeting have been equally positive and understanding.
People in my city tend to be highly opinionated and not always kind about political-municipal matters, so I'm really pleased at the "we're all in this together" attitude.
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Late last night, our governor ordered all preK-12 schools to close for 3 weeks. This morning, the besieged superintendent of one district in our city weighed in with her perspective on Facebook. The many responses from parents were all kind and supportive. The responses to the city's decisions to shut libraries and senior centers and cancel upcoming city council meeting have been equally positive and understanding.
People in my city tend to be highly opinionated and not always kind about political-municipal matters, so I'm really pleased at the "we're all in this together" attitude.
This. I've seen a lot more of an understanding attitude from people than I expected.
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I'm going to take shutdown of libraries very hard when that happens.
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I'm going to take shutdown of libraries very hard when that happens.
Yeah, quarantine and books are like peas and carrots. Personal libraries (aka buying books) have never made sense to me except for the few reference materials you expect to need on a semiregular basis.
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I'm going to take shutdown of libraries very hard when that happens.
Yeah, quarantine and books are like peas and carrots. Personal libraries (aka buying books) have never made sense to me except for the few reference materials you expect to need on a semiregular basis.
I still have a handful of outstanding backlog requests, but they are split 50/50 between paper copies and electronic to read on my gen1 Kindle.
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I'm going to take shutdown of libraries very hard when that happens.
That's a great point. I need to make a serious book run this weekend.
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I'm going to take shutdown of libraries very hard when that happens.
My library shut down yesterday, now I only have 5 books at home to still read :'(
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I'm going to take shutdown of libraries very hard when that happens.
It would be a lot worse for us without the online services. Our libraries are always packed and do a lot of community programming, so this will be a hardship for many.
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I'm going to take shutdown of libraries very hard when that happens.
Hey, this is supposed to be an optimism thread!
Optimism: Noticeably less cars to weave around on my bike ride into work today!
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Optimistically, think how much worse potentially being shut in for weeks and months would be in the era before ebooks!
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I'm going to take shutdown of libraries very hard when that happens.
Hey, this is supposed to be an optimism thread!
Optimism: Noticeably less cars to weave around on my bike ride into work today!
I'm optimistic because if the library closes, even after giving away dozens of books, I still have 3-4 bookshelves worth of books left to read in a pinch.
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DAMMIT. They're closing the library tomorrow until future notice.
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optimism - less traffic on the roads = more fun driving
optimism - less economic activity = cheaper goods!
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Wait, wait! I have optimism! I managed to bike down to the library before they closed and get (hopefully) a months worth of books (two large panniers worth anyway) for me, my wife, and our kid who has his school closed for three weeks at least.
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I can imagines outcomes where this crisis results in (American) people being more realistic, less partisan, and less individualistic. Went shopping today and rather than fights over toilet paper, everyone was more social than usual. A crisis is a bad way to do it but maybe this will be remembered as an important shared experience that snaps people out of their habitual routines in a therapeutic manner.
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Wait, wait! I have optimism! I managed to bike down to the library before they closed and get (hopefully) a months worth of books (two large panniers worth anyway) for me, my wife, and our kid who has his school closed for three weeks at least.
I like it. Panic borrowing!
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More cycling for me. I am now forced to work from home so gain my commute time back. Hopefully they'll be less traffic on the roads too. A double win.
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There's a good chance we'll be able to reduce long-term costs for Social Security and Medicare? Yay?
Haha, this made me laugh, as an old age pensioner.
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Weather is getting better (slowly).
Our tax return hit bank today which I transferred into our TFSA's and made a stock buy after lunch. In hindsight I would have waited an hour or so and the price has dropped since. Meh.
Taking a long weekend vacation with wife starting tomorrow morning. Not going far - couple hours up road. Looking forward to getting away for a couple nights.
My old dog took 1st prize in a dog show (not really ... we found the ribbon on the floor of a dog show we went to on the weekend but at 15 years old, he's still our #1)
That dog. Too cute for words!
As an introvert I’m looking forward to the next two months as a time to weed gardens, clean my house, plan Flower shows of 2020 and year 2021. This is like an extension of January and February where we already dial down activities.
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DAMMIT. They're closing the library tomorrow until future notice.
Crap I didn't even think about this. I only have 1 book to read. I guess it's time to try some eBooks.
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I got the last bag of milk, last container of yeast, last bag of onions, and last large ham (there was a selection of ham and ground chicken in the meat aisle) at the grocery store this morning.
So I guess it was worth it showing up 30 minutes before the grocery store opened and standing in a long line outside the doors!
I'm optimistic that we must be close to peak panic at this point - this is pretty crazy.
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DAMMIT. They're closing the library tomorrow until future notice.
Crap I didn't even think about this. I only have 1 book to read. I guess it's time to try some eBooks.
If you have a library card and a smartphone, get the Libby app and you can check out and read books on your tablet/phone for free. Auto-returns after 21 days if you don't renew means you will never pay a late fee. My library has tons of ebooks and audiobooks!
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DAMMIT. They're closing the library tomorrow until future notice.
Crap I didn't even think about this. I only have 1 book to read. I guess it's time to try some eBooks.
Does your library have e-services? Ours does and it’s pretty great.
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I noticed this morning that I was down to my last 2-lb bag of gluten-free oats, which somehow escaped my notice last week even though we’re going through them a lot faster now (husband has started eating oatmeal). Bob’s Red Mill was sold out of all sizes except the 25-lb bulk bag (they’re also sold out of most other items I checked). Turns out that even with shipping, it’s still cheaper per pound than the 2-lb bags I’ve been buying. We have a new vacuum sealer, so that should make storage even easier.
I also got an email from the farmer who runs our CSA program about alternative pick-up options if the farmers’ markets are shut. Plants are already going in greenhouses, and he’s ready to go for the season. CSA is a great way to support a local business owner and local farming, especially because public market closures might keep them from their usual money-making opportunities.
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There's a lot to be anxious about as I have elderly relatives just recovering from serious health conditions, who will be the first to drop off the twig if Covid-19 strikes.
However: Supermarket shelves are bare around here, but I was already stocked up due to Costco addiction, plus a giant box of Misfits produce arrived yesterday so I am all set. Except for toilet paper, which we actually may need soon. :~(
Husband is working from home for two weeks so he's in a good mood, and kids can't stop grinning... no school for weeks and weeks and weeks. I'm also relieved to get a break from the relentless round of holidays, birthday parties, baby showers, church, and school events which are time sinks for poor SAHPs like me.
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I'm going to be able to WFH for long enough that it will give me good practice how I feel about it long term.
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My current first world problem is my fridge, pantry, and freezer are so well stocked getting something out is like playing a game of Corona Jenga!
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My current first world problem is my fridge, pantry, and freezer are so well stocked getting something out is like playing a game of Corona Jenga!
Haha, so true! It was a game of Freezer Tetris getting it in there, and now there's a risk of a head injury trying to get anything out! :-)
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Social distancing lets me relax into my most comfortable state. No need to push myself to engage in social situations. Ahhh. The sun is shining and I enjoyed a great trail run with my dog.
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I get to work at home in this fine spring weather. Long walks with DW, plenty of sunshine after the winter, and no annoying interruptions when I'm trying to concentrate.
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Social distancing finally gives me an excuse for being an anti-social curmudgeon who doesn't like to be near others.
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Social distancing finally gives me an excuse for being an anti-social curmudgeon who doesn't like to be near others.
Haha, same. I have a Zoom meeting tomorrow and I’m wondering if there’s any way to get out of that, too.
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Well, I have plenty of job security either way. If SHTF I will have forced overtime and more money to put in the market while it's down. If it doesn't hit the fan then it all goes back to normal and the market goes back up soon.
Husband has not gotten around to throwing out his old holy t shirts, which means we will have plenty of rags if we run out of TP.
Our library is open until Wednesday, so I can go panic-borrow tomorrow (can't remember who coined that phrase).
I wanted to clean out my pantry this month anyway.
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I live close to a college campus which has become a ghost town in the last 48 hours since school dismissed for an extended spring break. This sudden drop in population will allow me to do some serious stealth guerrilla gardening in the neighborhood, starting with two trash strewn corners close to my house. I’m in possession of one of those metal trash grabbers for picking up litter so I don’t physically have to touch it. After safely removing the trash I’m going to plant bulbs and pollinator plants. By the time students return, which is looking to be probably at least three weeks, things should be vastly improved. I’ve wanted to do it this for a long time, but circumstances were never ideal for doing it on the down-low. Just trying to bring a few smiles... And if anyone fucks with me (doubtful), I’ll get them to stand down...social distancing requires them to get out of my space. 😁
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Our library is open until Wednesday, so I can go panic-borrow tomorrow (can't remember who coined that phrase).
Don't know if it was me, but the only cue I had that my county would shut its library system down is neighboring county did so the day before.
Panic borrowed seasons 3-9 of the Big Bang Theory, and four new books. Asked husband over the phone twice if he wanted anything, knowing that this is the last the library will actually be open for a long time.
I'm hoping the day they're supposed to open again (which I doubt they will actually open again) we can go to pick up only. We're able to select books we want and the library to pick them up at online... so if we could go and pick it up dive-through style I'd be so happy.
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Oh! Another bonus: I was procrastinating on doing my taxes. Guess who now has lots of time to do their taxes? Me! But first I must procrastinate some more.
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DAMMIT. They're closing the library tomorrow until future notice.
Crap I didn't even think about this. I only have 1 book to read. I guess it's time to try some eBooks.
If you have a library card and a smartphone, get the Libby app and you can check out and read books on your tablet/phone for free. Auto-returns after 21 days if you don't renew means you will never pay a late fee. My library has tons of ebooks and audiobooks!
This! Plus, library shop. I have found other counties willing to give cards to neighboring counties (the term for this is escaping my memory), which really opens up your options. Plus, if you've moved around a lot, you can usually continue to use your old card(s) on Libby, too.
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I finished my taxes yesterday, hopefully my refund comes before prices recover.
The library has pushed all due dates to April 30th so no one gets a late fee. They also have ebooks available to download.
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I live close to a college campus which has become a ghost town in the last 48 hours since school dismissed for an extended spring break. This sudden drop in population will allow me to do some serious stealth guerrilla gardening in the neighborhood, starting with two trash strewn corners close to my house. I’m in possession of one of those metal trash grabbers for picking up litter so I don’t physically have to touch it. After safely removing the trash I’m going to plant bulbs and pollinator plants. By the time students return, which is looking to be probably at least three weeks, things should be vastly improved. I’ve wanted to do it this for a long time, but circumstances were never ideal for doing it on the down-low. Just trying to bring a few smiles... And if anyone fucks with me (doubtful), I’ll get them to stand down...social distancing requires them to get out of my space. 😁
Cool plan, fellow guerilla Gardner! I have been claiming city lots and planting Iris for years.
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I live close to a college campus which has become a ghost town in the last 48 hours since school dismissed for an extended spring break. This sudden drop in population will allow me to do some serious stealth guerrilla gardening in the neighborhood, starting with two trash strewn corners close to my house. I’m in possession of one of those metal trash grabbers for picking up litter so I don’t physically have to touch it. After safely removing the trash I’m going to plant bulbs and pollinator plants. By the time students return, which is looking to be probably at least three weeks, things should be vastly improved. I’ve wanted to do it this for a long time, but circumstances were never ideal for doing it on the down-low. Just trying to bring a few smiles... And if anyone fucks with me (doubtful), I’ll get them to stand down...social distancing requires them to get out of my space. 😁
Cool plan, fellow guerilla Gardner! I have been claiming city lots and planting Iris for years.
:VIRTUAL HIGHFIVE: I really want to do this but it's tough here b/c the climate is brutal and you can't just 'plant and leave'. And the natives tend to have trouble competing with the exotic weeds and grasses unless someone treats the entire lot first with herbicide and then tends it for the first year to give the natives time to get established. So it's a waste of money to try it unless it's 'officially sanctioned'. But I love the idea and applaud anyone who can do it.
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I live close to a college campus which has become a ghost town in the last 48 hours since school dismissed for an extended spring break. This sudden drop in population will allow me to do some serious stealth guerrilla gardening in the neighborhood, starting with two trash strewn corners close to my house. I’m in possession of one of those metal trash grabbers for picking up litter so I don’t physically have to touch it. After safely removing the trash I’m going to plant bulbs and pollinator plants. By the time students return, which is looking to be probably at least three weeks, things should be vastly improved. I’ve wanted to do it this for a long time, but circumstances were never ideal for doing it on the down-low. Just trying to bring a few smiles... And if anyone fucks with me (doubtful), I’ll get them to stand down...social distancing requires them to get out of my space. 😁
Cool plan, fellow guerilla Gardner! I have been claiming city lots and planting Iris for years.
:VIRTUAL HIGHFIVE: I really want to do this but it's tough here b/c the climate is brutal and you can't just 'plant and leave'. And the natives tend to have trouble competing with the exotic weeds and grasses unless someone treats the entire lot first with herbicide and then tends it for the first year to give the natives time to get established. So it's a waste of money to try it unless it's 'officially sanctioned'. But I love the idea and applaud anyone who can do it.
Much of the public gardening I’ve done is on established beds in street mediuns that are maintained by others. Bearded iris is a drought tolerant plant so I don’t worry about putting them down and walking off to never care for them again. In fact in the drought of 2012 I transferred a ton of Iris all over my neighborhood, and they all came through. They didn’t bloom well the following year but that’s OK they lived and two years later they put a big bloom.
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Oh! Another bonus: I was procrastinating on doing my taxes. Guess who now has lots of time to do their taxes? Me! But first I must procrastinate some more.
This is the first year I've taken my sweet time since I'm going to owe about $200. Still haven't finished them. Maybe tomorrow...
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Weather is getting better (slowly).
Our tax return hit bank today which I transferred into our TFSA's and made a stock buy after lunch. In hindsight I would have waited an hour or so and the price has dropped since. Meh.
Taking a long weekend vacation with wife starting tomorrow morning. Not going far - couple hours up road. Looking forward to getting away for a couple nights.
My old dog took 1st prize in a dog show (not really ... we found the ribbon on the floor of a dog show we went to on the weekend but at 15 years old, he's still our #1)
You are lucky that this virus means I can't jump on a plane and come steal your dog. Cutest damn thing I've ever seen.
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I reckon if the general public are cooped up and bored, they'll probably turn to online browsing/ shopping. It might be an ideal time for me to work on and launch a few things I've been working on and get some eyes on them.
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I just want to point out that panic borrowing (great term) is the most panicy of anything I've done in this whole situation. I kept thinking...what if the libraries are closed 4 weeks....what about 8 weeks........
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Weather is getting better (slowly).
Our tax return hit bank today which I transferred into our TFSA's and made a stock buy after lunch. In hindsight I would have waited an hour or so and the price has dropped since. Meh.
Taking a long weekend vacation with wife starting tomorrow morning. Not going far - couple hours up road. Looking forward to getting away for a couple nights.
My old dog took 1st prize in a dog show (not really ... we found the ribbon on the floor of a dog show we went to on the weekend but at 15 years old, he's still our #1)
You are lucky that this virus means I can't jump on a plane and come steal your dog. Cutest damn thing I've ever seen.
Lol. Ya, he is rather handsome.
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I just want to point out that panic borrowing (great term) is the most panicy of anything I've done in this whole situation. I kept thinking...what if the libraries are closed 4 weeks....what about 8 weeks........
I know my library won’t reopen at the end of the month as planned. But my optimism is we could do a drive-by order system where we can request via holds online and pickup when ready....
A girl can dream.
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The produce market had almost everything I wanted to buy, so we have well-stocked vegetable drawers once again. Cashiers were in good spirits, and the customers seemed more polite than usual.
Also, the sun is out.
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I was optimistic about my trip to London this last weekend and just returned to Germany tonight. Everything worked out without any problems and because nothing was crowded it all felt pretty safe.
No I have to go back to work tomorrow and I am not feeling terribly optimistic about that but no home office for me as I am a nurse :)
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I just want to point out that panic borrowing (great term) is the most panicy of anything I've done in this whole situation. I kept thinking...what if the libraries are closed 4 weeks....what about 8 weeks........
I know my library won’t reopen at the end of the month as planned. But my optimism is we could do a drive-by order system where we can request via holds online and pickup when ready....
A girl can dream.
Now that's the kind of vision and leadership we need. Can you please run for county commissioner/governor/president?
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I just want to point out that panic borrowing (great term) is the most panicy of anything I've done in this whole situation. I kept thinking...what if the libraries are closed 4 weeks....what about 8 weeks........
I know my library won’t reopen at the end of the month as planned. But my optimism is we could do a drive-by order system where we can request via holds online and pickup when ready....
A girl can dream.
Order an e-reader?
A lot of libraries have capabilities for borrowing books if you have e-readers.
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I just want to point out that panic borrowing (great term) is the most panicy of anything I've done in this whole situation. I kept thinking...what if the libraries are closed 4 weeks....what about 8 weeks........
I know my library won’t reopen at the end of the month as planned. But my optimism is we could do a drive-by order system where we can request via holds online and pickup when ready....
A girl can dream.
Order an e-reader?
A lot of libraries have capabilities for borrowing books if you have e-readers.
I can read my borrowed e-books on my phone and laptop.
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I just want to point out that panic borrowing (great term) is the most panicy of anything I've done in this whole situation. I kept thinking...what if the libraries are closed 4 weeks....what about 8 weeks........
I know my library won’t reopen at the end of the month as planned. But my optimism is we could do a drive-by order system where we can request via holds online and pickup when ready....
A girl can dream.
My farmer's market has a drive by system set up already. And the schools are doling out food the same way starting today. I just feel sorry for people who don't have cars.
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I just want to point out that panic borrowing (great term) is the most panicy of anything I've done in this whole situation. I kept thinking...what if the libraries are closed 4 weeks....what about 8 weeks........
I know my library won’t reopen at the end of the month as planned. But my optimism is we could do a drive-by order system where we can request via holds online and pickup when ready....
A girl can dream.
Order an e-reader?
A lot of libraries have capabilities for borrowing books if you have e-readers.
I can read my borrowed e-books on my phone and laptop.
We don’t have content available across all systems. For example, I typically check out my marvel movies on DVD. Certain books (depending on age and subject matter) are only available in print form. Sometimes the wait for an ebook is several months long, but print copies are available immediately or have a short wait time since only a few people are “in line”.
I do agree, digital is great, but sometimes the hard copies are better.
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While this thread is trending to practical and sincere optimism, I prefer the black humor of a few posts here.
On the inheritance thread someone cracked that there will be a glut of stories about inheritance in about six months. Ha ha.
It’s the revenge of the millennials. They WILL take down us Boomers in the economic lottery of life. We lose our lives, they inherit our dough. They lose half the value of our assets in the game but still, a win for them.
Iris—former multi millionare
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Another point of optimism is we all know who will be Time Magazine’s man of the year in their December 2020 issue:
Mr. Corona V. Nineteen
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You guys are doing great - thanks for the optimism.
Today I am optimistic we develop a cure (not a vaccine yet) which would be a pretty good first step.
French doctors have had succes treating Covid-19 patients with anti-malaria drugs and fully removing traces of covid-19 in ~75% of patients treated. Obviously, these are very preliminary numbers, but still encouraging.
A cheap and easily accessible drug, already commercialized, to solve this mess? Sounds pretty good.
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Group activities are still alive and well, you just do them virtually! We had a 2 hour long video chat with my buddies just down the street that we'd normally hang out with in person, along with some friends currently across the country.
We just discovered this chrome extension, which lets you binge netflix with friends- it syncs the video across devices and adds a chat panel: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/netflix-party/oocalimimngaihdkbihfgmpkcpnmlaoa?hl=en
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Group activities are still alive and well, you just do them virtually! We had a 2 hour long video chat with my buddies just down the street that we'd normally hang out with in person, along with some friends currently across the country.
We just discovered this chrome extension, which lets you binge netflix with friends- it syncs the video across devices and adds a chat panel: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/netflix-party/oocalimimngaihdkbihfgmpkcpnmlaoa?hl=en
This isolation has caused three new apps to land on my iPad, forcing me to learn new crap. While it sounds like my whine and it is, I will come out on the other side knowing how to navigate a few more digital things. Win!
Those who are invested in Netflix, HBO, streaming devices and content deliverers will make some money.
Maybe network TV will gain some viewers because people will have to expand their entertainment options. And unfortunate win for the old tired networks.
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Still doing a bit of side work and Lowes was a ghost town today. The streets were largely empty as well. On the home front we are optimistic our teenage son will successfully make it through his sophomore year without anymore setbacks.
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Ok, my optimism goes like this:
we have all known for years that -collectively- we need to save more, cook more, be more self sufficient. So my hope through all of this is that those concepts become part of our collective psyche.
I remember how my grandmothers experience living through the Great Depression shaped her saving and spending. I hope we don’t have anything near that bad (I don’t think we will) but this might be enough to jolt several hundred million into realizing they shouldn’t be carrying a cc balance and ought to have enough supplies on hand to shelter for a week or too.
I hope gardening gets a big boost. I think carbon emissions will plummet, though whether that can be made permanent is less likely. Still, it’sa start.
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I think carbon emissions will plummet, though whether that can be made permanent is less likely. Still, it’sa start.
We will gain some proof that the world is in fact able to work together and abandon business as usual when threatened. That does give me some optimism. A "war footing" it's what's needed to fight climate change. Even our terrible PM here in AUS has shown some leadership and is improving daily.
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Iris—former multi millionare
Ha ha. Yep!
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From a long-time career pessimist, here's my list:
- as others have pointed out, plunging carbon emissions are a great thing for anyone who breathes, and for the planet in general
- emerging pockets of kindness here and there re. people doing the right thing to flatten the curve, do errands for seniors, support small businesses, etc.
- less traffic, so biking feels safer than ever
- having people work from home where possible will save commuters $ and, even more precious, time
- companies with virtual staff will be able to scale down their bricks-and-mortar operations (eventually) and save $
- possible conversion of valuable downtown office real estate into residences eventually (especially in older loft/factory conversions), once demand for tech offices starts to wane?
- the housing market may come back down to earth in key markets as a result
- lower interest rates for those who need them (unfortunately, that doesn't include me)
- potential fast track to decent jobs for immigrants with healthcare skills (e.g., doctors, nurses, caregivers)
- bargain-basement prices on investments
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there's probably a lot of knowledge being gained from this pandemic. societal and biological.
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I've been working from home for the last year or so, and it has always been a challenge to find a time when the kids are quiet for conference calls. Now that everyone able to work from home is doing so, it is practically expected that there will be a kid screaming in the background on the call. It's a small thing that makes me happy.
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Adding - this is going to force companies to consider work-from-home strategies and improve those opportunities. That alone d have a profound impact on globalemissions and commuting.
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Classic FM is knocking it out of the park this afternoon/evening. They're playing "comfort" music, which apparently includes "Miserere" by Allegri, "Pavane" by Faure, and "Jupiter" from Holst's "The Planets." It's actually distracting me from my work a bit.
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I live close to a college campus which has become a ghost town in the last 48 hours since school dismissed for an extended spring break. This sudden drop in population will allow me to do some serious stealth guerrilla gardening in the neighborhood, starting with two trash strewn corners close to my house. I’m in possession of one of those metal trash grabbers for picking up litter so I don’t physically have to touch it. After safely removing the trash I’m going to plant bulbs and pollinator plants. By the time students return, which is looking to be probably at least three weeks, things should be vastly improved. I’ve wanted to do it this for a long time, but circumstances were never ideal for doing it on the down-low. Just trying to bring a few smiles... And if anyone fucks with me (doubtful), I’ll get them to stand down...social distancing requires them to get out of my space. 😁
Cool plan, fellow guerilla Gardner! I have been claiming city lots and planting Iris for years.
:VIRTUAL HIGHFIVE: I really want to do this but it's tough here b/c the climate is brutal and you can't just 'plant and leave'. And the natives tend to have trouble competing with the exotic weeds and grasses unless someone treats the entire lot first with herbicide and then tends it for the first year to give the natives time to get established. So it's a waste of money to try it unless it's 'officially sanctioned'. But I love the idea and applaud anyone who can do it.
Much of the public gardening I’ve done is on established beds in street mediuns that are maintained by others. Bearded iris is a drought tolerant plant so I don’t worry about putting them down and walking off to never care for them again. In fact in the drought of 2012 I transferred a ton of Iris all over my neighborhood, and they all came through. They didn’t bloom well the following year but that’s OK they lived and two years later they put a big bloom.
Simply lovely! I wish I could see it. I've planted irises all over but they have yet to bloom.
Gardening optimism: Over the past 6 years I've planted dozens of fruit trees and bushes, but less than a quarter of them have survived, and hardly any have ever had fruit. But still that means I have a few. And I just bought a peach tree!
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After reading this thread I am suddenly somehow bummed that my job hasn't changed (nearly) at all.
Okay, I am now working from home instead of in the 3 people office 600m away, but the other 3 people I am working with (programmers) were only working from home anyway.
And I do start to worry what will happen in 3 weeks time when I run out of toilet paper. Will the panicky buyers have stocked up a years worth of TP by then and I might actually catch some? (Went today shortly after opening to do my weekend shopping, and all paper products were out, probably not restocked since days. Potato chips, noodles and cans were down at 1/4. There is no shortage of shampoo, though!!
But I am happy that now a lot less pollution of whatever sort is produced.
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I feel very good and optimistic about all this time my husband, my daughter and I get to spend together now.
One of the biggest reasons for my drive towards early retirement is wanting to spend more time together.
I am a nurse, so I am still working but will get off night shift Wednesday morning and be off for two weeks👍 Where I work everything has been closed except for the one ward that I happen to work at.
My husband works for the state department and still had to come to the office this last week but from now on it is home office.
Although people getting sick, other people possibly loosing jobs ... is truly awful I can't help being happy and optimistic about the positive things this has brought to our lives.
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I sat down and planned out our financial emergency plan this morning.
If only one spouse were to become unemployed, we could continue indefinitely by cutting out nonessential spending and investing. If we both lose our jobs, we could go about 6 months by using our emergency fund and cashing out both reimbursable HSA funds and credit card travel rewards. In that time, I could go back to college for another year with the G.I. Bill, which would provide some additional funds as well.
Having a plan in place for the worst case scenario has me feeling very optimistic. Prior to doing a full accounting of all of our options, I was considering slowing investing to add a couple more months' expenses to our emergency fund, but now I'm wondering if I should cut down to essential expenses now just to invest more.
Either way, teachings from MMM and Dave Ramsey have set us up to weather almost any storm.
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I sat down and planned out our financial emergency plan this morning.
If only one spouse were to become unemployed, we could continue indefinitely by cutting out nonessential spending and investing. If we both lose our jobs, we could go about 6 months by using our emergency fund and cashing out both reimbursable HSA funds and credit card travel rewards. In that time, I could go back to college for another year with the G.I. Bill, which would provide some additional funds as well.
Having a plan in place for the worst case scenario has me feeling very optimistic. Prior to doing a full accounting of all of our options, I was considering slowing investing to add a couple more months' expenses to our emergency fund, but now I'm wondering if I should cut down to essential expenses now just to invest more.
Either way, teachings from MMM and Dave Ramsey have set us up to weather almost any storm.
Sounds good DadJokes. We’ve managed to live off one income which has been helpful since, um, we’ve needed to live off of spouses income.
A few months buffer, then the HSA which has been in cash (our only option from work, presently).
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If you're a sports announcer and there are no sports, well...everything becomes a sport.
With Live Sports Gone, Announcer Offers Play by Play of the Everyday (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/world/europe/coronavirus-nick-heath-rugby.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage)
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If you're a sports announcer and there are no sports, well...everything becomes a sport.
With Live Sports Gone, Announcer Offers Play by Play of the Everyday (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/world/europe/coronavirus-nick-heath-rugby.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage)
I loved this, @OtherJen!
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I'm so glad others are finding things to be optimistic about. I am totally jealous of those that manage to panic borrow from the library! I can e and audio book, but some movies and shows would have been nice too.
I am optimistic that once this all shakes out, some people that are far smarter and more ambitious than I are going to create solutions for some of the problems we are seeing now. Should be interesting to see what they identify and how they solve the issues, and then watch them flourish.
Also seeing some companies retooling to provide for current needs is pretty cool. A local libation producer switched over to sanitizer producer when they realized the hospitals couldn't get supplies. Good stuff.
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Also seeing some companies retooling to provide for current needs is pretty cool. A local libation producer switched over to sanitizer producer when they realized the hospitals couldn't get supplies. Good stuff.
Yes! In my area, Ford has started making face shields for the local hospitals.
I had a conference call with some fellow volunteer board members earlier. Most of them are over 60, and a few live in a local retirement community. It was so good to hear their voices.
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That's awesome. I love hearing this stuff. Not just optimism, but people doing things that are actually helping!
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That's awesome. I love hearing this stuff. Not just optimism, but people doing things that are actually helping!
It's really nice to hear all the stories of distilleries making hand sanitizer, vacuum cleaner companies making ventilators, clothing companies sewing surgical masks, etc. Maybe some of the compassion and solidarity will stick after this blows over.
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I have everything needed to make a batch of guacamole. This has brightened my mood considerably.
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Has anybody else thought about how many millions of brilliant people all over the world working on ways to solve or mitigate the pandemic? This is at a time when technology can facilitate collaboration without having to be physically close enough to risk spreading the virus. It's also at a time when people in several up-and-coming countries now have the education and resources to add their talents to the fight.
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Has anybody else thought about how many millions of brilliant people all over the world working on ways to solve or mitigate the pandemic? This is at a time when technology can facilitate collaboration without having to be physically close enough to risk spreading the virus. It's also at a time when people in several up-and-coming countries now have the education and resources to add their talents to the fight.
[/quote
As had been noted elsewhere, no pathogen has ever triggered this much funding and effort to develop an effective cure in the history of civilization. It outpaces the race to eradicate small pox and to combat Ebola.
Hopefully what we learn from such a multifaceted global collaboration will aid is in advancing medicine in future crises.
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Has anybody else thought about how many millions of brilliant people all over the world working on ways to solve or mitigate the pandemic? This is at a time when technology can facilitate collaboration without having to be physically close enough to risk spreading the virus. It's also at a time when people in several up-and-coming countries now have the education and resources to add their talents to the fight.
As had been noted elsewhere, no pathogen has ever triggered this much funding and effort to develop an effective cure in the history of civilization. It outpaces the race to eradicate small pox and to combat Ebola.
Hopefully what we learn from such a multifaceted global collaboration will aid is in advancing medicine in future crises.
The difference is, of course, that this one is a major thread to the rich white guys leading the industrialized world. Contrary to e.g. Ebola, which kills almost exclusivly poor people and their children.
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Has anyone else notice they've been getting a lot less junk mail these days? Two months ago, 4-6 pieces of junk mail per day was common for me, but now I might only get one piece every other day. It's a small thing, but I am enjoying having less stuff going in the trash.
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Has anyone else notice they've been getting a lot less junk mail these days? Two months ago, 4-6 pieces of junk mail per day was common for me, but now I might only get one piece every other day. It's a small thing, but I am enjoying having less stuff going in the trash.
I haven't noticed a difference in mail. We also had a cleaning company drive through the neighborhood yesterday and throw business cards in sandwich bags (weighed down by rocks) in every driveway.
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Has anyone else notice they've been getting a lot less junk mail these days? Two months ago, 4-6 pieces of junk mail per day was common for me, but now I might only get one piece every other day. It's a small thing, but I am enjoying having less stuff going in the trash.
. . . and just when there's a shortage of TP too.
Conincidince?
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I'm optimistic about being a Mustachian! We are so much better prepared for this than everyone else. I'm also happy to see how I'm able to contribute to the solution, not the problem. Because I'm so well set up, I'm able to keep paying my rent, thereby preventing problems for my landlord. I'm also able to keep donating to effective charities and volunteering, despite a significant drop in my income. I think if a significant proportion of the population were Mustachian, there would be much less fear.
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I'm optimistic about being a Mustachian! We are so much better prepared for this than everyone else. I'm also happy to see how I'm able to contribute to the solution, not the problem. Because I'm so well set up, I'm able to keep paying my rent, thereby preventing problems for my landlord. I'm also able to keep donating to effective charities and volunteering, despite a significant drop in my income. I think if a significant proportion of the population were Mustachian, there would be much less fear.
Same here!
My job is stable and my income won't even be cut, so one thing I did was to increase one of my monthly charity contributions (planning to leave it there after COVID too) as I expect them to have received lots of stopped donations from people who lost jobs and such.
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Has anybody else thought about how many millions of brilliant people all over the world working on ways to solve or mitigate the pandemic? This is at a time when technology can facilitate collaboration without having to be physically close enough to risk spreading the virus. It's also at a time when people in several up-and-coming countries now have the education and resources to add their talents to the fight.
As had been noted elsewhere, no pathogen has ever triggered this much funding and effort to develop an effective cure in the history of civilization. It outpaces the race to eradicate small pox and to combat Ebola.
Hopefully what we learn from such a multifaceted global collaboration will aid is in advancing medicine in future crises.
The difference is, of course, that this one is a major thread to the rich white guys leading the industrialized world. Contrary to e.g. Ebola, which kills almost exclusivly poor people and their children.
Ebola was also a major threat to all people rich and poor. There was an impressive international effort to stamp it out in some of the countries with the least infrastructure on Earth. The West African Ebola epidemic was essentially contained to three countries then extinguished. COVID-19 not so much.
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Going off a piece I listened to in NPR, ultimately, the best way to 'win' the battle against a viral outbreak is to leave all politics aside and do your part for your neighbors and family. If you go out, do this only as is essential and that you might come in contact with the virus and (even if you survive it) will put other people at risk by carrying (and hopefully not spreading) the virus for 14 days.
So my outrageous optimism is that we all, whatever nation or political camp we reside in, are brought closer together as part of the human race and 'win'. And hopefully this ethos prevails sooner rather than later.
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Going off a piece I listened to in NPR, ultimately, the best way to 'win' the battle against a viral outbreak is to leave all politics aside and do your part for your neighbors and family. If you go out, do this only as is essential and that you might come in contact with the virus and (even if you survive it) will put other people at risk by carrying (and hopefully not spreading) the virus for 14 days.
So my outrageous optimism is that we all, whatever nation or political camp we reside in, are brought closer together as part of the human race and 'win'. And hopefully this ethos prevails sooner rather than later.
I will enjoy the irony* if everyone staying isolated in their homes brings us back together as a society. And I agree with you it really is a plausible outcome.
*And I think in this case I'm using the word in a way even an english teacher would approve of, but I could be wrong.
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There's a lot to be anxious about as I have elderly relatives just recovering from serious health conditions, who will be the first to drop off the twig if Covid-19 strikes.
However: Supermarket shelves are bare around here, but I was already stocked up due to Costco addiction, plus a giant box of Misfits produce arrived yesterday so I am all set. Except for toilet paper, which we actually may need soon. :~(
Husband is working from home for two weeks so he's in a good mood, and kids can't stop grinning... no school for weeks and weeks and weeks. I'm also relieved to get a break from the relentless round of holidays, birthday parties, baby showers, church, and school events which are time sinks for poor SAHPs like me.
Poundwise, are you still getting Misfits? I was getting a box once a week for quite a while but got a bit disillusioned when I kept getting squash and eggplants every week. I just don't know what to do with an over abundance of them. I stopped getting it and went to Imperfect foods but not all that happy with them either. Tell me what you are experiencing if you still get the boxes.