Coronavirus **personal experiences** thread

[Joshk]

@Lightbringer

@Joshk

@Muto

The rich … will get richer and so it goes.

Or more accurately “the motivated will get rich, and the rich will get richer”

Problem is, The Rich™ aren’t those who buzz around in private jets or flash their bling all over. They’re people like me who almost live like paupers (well…) to be able to save like a squirrel, and enjoy zero debt. (Trust me, you breathe a lot easier when you don’t have to “service” a debt.)

The Rich™ are people you see every day, who wear a Timex instead of a Rolex, and drive a Camry instead of a Caddy. They forego the Starbuck on the way to work and enjoy the free (but quite decent) coffee at work, brown-bag lunch vs ordering in, and so on.

I have neighbors who work at DSNY (“disney”, har!) and NYPD, who have to have a Mercedes or Audi out front, who have to turn a plain ol’ house into a McMansion, and who are probably neck-deep in debt buying buying buying all the external trappings of “wealth”, yet are a coupla paychecks away from being out on the street if it ever hits the fan.

I have cow-orkers who constantly piss’n’moan about how “you can’t afford to live in NYC”, yet, yes, they’re the ones who go for the 8buk Starbuck in the morning every day, and order in from the only $$$ places that deliver to the area vs brown-bagging or just coming with me to walk out for lunch, who head out in the afternoon for another 8buk smoothie or fro-yo when feeling peckish, etc.

Of course if you drop 20bux or more each day like that, and head out to “AC” for the weekends, and insist on a traveling vacation every year, you’ll have issues making next month’s rent.

I’m not saying to live in a refrigerator box behind Best Buy, but FIRST put aside the essentials (car insurance, rent, other regular fees) each month, then set aside at least something for savings, then what’s left over use as “fun money”. They do it backwards, piss it away first, then struggle (or borrow) to make the essential payments.

There are so many “smart” people out there who are financially illiterate, or just lack self-discipline. And who have zero savings and zero ways to handle any “financial crisis” like car trouble, etc.

Hell yes to all that!
Many people seem to think the rich live without a budget. That’s so wrong. Everyone needs to temper their desires. Even the richest actors and lottery winners end up back at zero if they don’t get that.

[CheapThrills]

@MtnDon

FWIW, and FYI, in 1801 the average lefispan in the US was about 38 years.

Always when discussing about lowish life expectancies of past times, it is worth mentioning, that old & properly old people have existed for a long time in human history.

A huge factor in low average age is child and infant mortality. Death at 0-12yrs lowers the average quite significantly.

[Macka17]

Good on the old boy. Hope he gets another coupla mill to go with it.

That age is one I don’t want to live to.
Too old. Frail.

Just breathing is NOT everything.
A LIFE you can live… is important too.
Walk around an old folks home sometime. NOOOO thank’s.

When you can’t do what you want with your body. AND mind.
Pull the plug and move over for somebody else is my way of thinking.
As long as it’s quick. So what. We all do it. (Die)
Tried it once. Too young. Came back (49yrs)
I’m 78 starting to lose balance and not doing what I used to, comfortably any more.

It’s you young ones this frightens.
To us oldies (A lot of us). It’s just another serve of the flu.
A different way to keep the mortality rates up hey.

There’s a coupla Billion too many here now.
and you haven’t got the sense to stop the indiscriminate breeding yet.

---

“”As long as you stay behind the green doors”“””

That line in a post above. Triggered an ooold memory.
1957. the yr b4 I went into English army for a Trade.

Frankie Vaughan. Greek crooner/singer. “Behind the Green Door.”
Great Personality.
Anybody else here remember that old stuff?..
You could understand every word they sang in those days…

[Bwana]

I remember the song . Totally forgot about it till you made mention .

Jeeze I must be older then I thought

[Lightbringer]

@CheapThrills

@MtnDon

FWIW, and FYI, in 1801 the average lefispan in the US was about 38 years.

Always when discussing about lowish life expectancies of past times, it is worth mentioning, that old & properly old people have existed for a long time in human history.

A huge factor in low average age is child and infant mortality. Death at 0-12yrs lowers the average quite significantly.

Yeh, a lot of people were imagining Ye Olde Dayes as a sort of ancient version of “Logan’s Run”…

[MtnDon (Don Miller)]

@Joshk

Hell yes to all that!
Many people seem to think the rich live without a budget. That’s so wrong. Everyone needs to temper their desires. Even the richest actors and lottery winners end up back at zero if they don’t get that.

Buy what you need, not what you want, or at least have a certain amount that is discretionary, can be used for whatever.

Buy a house to live in, don’t think of it as an investment.

Buy used vehicles. Keep them a while. We have an ’06 Tacoma (bought used in ’09), a ’17 Tesla 3 (bought used in ’18)), a ’68 Volvo 123GT and a ’66 Volvo PV544. (The Volvo’s are an extravagance; old Volvo’s are a thing with me) and a ’66 John Deere 4wd tractor.

We live in the same house we bought in ’85.

[Joshk]

MtnDon. I wish they spent at least a week telling people these things in school. It would change some lives I think.

’66 John Deere, that must be a 4020. Great tractor even today. That sycro transmission was way ahead of it’s time.

[Firelight2]

A month ago people were commenting that Covid-19 was blown all out of proportion because it had only killed maybe 100 people in the U.S., compared to 15,000 or more for the annual flu.

Just a month later and even with all the social distancing the U.S. now reports nearly 27,000 fatalities from Covid 19.

This seems to be a case of where the gut feeling of “it sounds overblown” just doesn’t stand up to the knowledge of PhD experts whose life’s work involves studying epidemics and pandemics and know what they’re talking about. The epidemiologists appear to have been right all along.

[sb56637]

@Hikelite

In this excellent interview a relapse is explained.
Also you can find more about Korea from Korea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwoNP9QWr4Y

:+1: :+1:

[MtnDon (Don Miller)]

@Joshk

:+1: MtnDon. I wish they spent at least a week telling people these things in school. It would change some lives I think. '66 John Deere, that must be a 4020. Great tractor even today. That sycro transmission was way ahead of it’s time.

I made a typo... tractor is a '76, an 8430 forestry model

[Joshk]

I didn’t recognize that model so I Googled it. I’m still not sure what the forestry model difference is. But that 8430 I see pics of gets no love from me. They drive like a snake because the cab and hood swing in an exaggerated way when you steer because of how far back the cab sits. Not to mention the articulation and steering was shot on the one I drove. The steering wheel had about 1 full rotation of slop

[MtnDon (Don Miller)]

The forestry version has a cage for protection from falling branches and trees and a 4 segemnt crane arm with claw on the end, for moving logs. The steering articulation is very handy when trying to snake through trees that will be left standing. It does make it easier to drive when the machanics and hydraulics are working right.

[Rexlion]

@Joshk

:+1: MtnDon. I wish they spent at least a week telling people these things in school. It would change some lives I think.

‘66 John Deere, that must be a 4020. Great tractor even today. That sycro transmission was way ahead of it’s time.

We had a 4230 and if it was parked on the least bit of incline (like15 degrees off level) the shift lever would jam in ’park’. If that was the same transmission, well, we didn’t think much of it.

[Coscar]

Anyone else getting ‘sick’ of ‘My Pillow’ commercials?

[Joshk]

Syncros were the first transmission that could shift (some gears) on the go without grinding gears. Not a small feat for a tractor. I do recall it getting a little jammed in park on an incline now that you mention it. But even as a kid I could pop it out reliably with a stiff pull.

[phouton]

@Mike C

There was a thread about questioning Sweden’s strategy and response to the virus, I think it was closed (which is good, one thread is enough). Here are some explanations from Sweden’s Chief Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell who has been getting crap from all over the place. I won’t comment on if I agree or disagree, all I care to say is that he has at least put some thought behind defending this strategy.

First 7 and a half minutes skipped, it had not started by then. Sorry if it has been posted before, I haven’t followed this thread much. Anyhow, it’s an hour long, you’d have to be pretty interested to listen to it all. I didn’t…

https://youtu.be/Wo10IIMHYXk?t=445

Thanks for the link and timestamp. I listened to it all and found it quite interesting. It’s nice to hear directly from “the horses mouth.”

My main reaction is that it is unclear what “lockdown” vs “no lockdown” means in practice. I think this has become a binary policy label instead of considering the actual changes in population behavior.

For example, Anders Tegnell mentioned:

- public transit ridership is down 90% (as much or more than places under lockdown)

- their strategy is to slow the spread and avoid spikes to the healthcare system

- herd immunity is a state, and is not a strategy (I said that in the locked thread!)

- ski resorts and other companies have voluntarily shut down

• government has passed laws to enable broader measures if needed

Sweden culture seems to have a high level of trust in their government and places an emphasis on individual responsibility to protect oneself and the rest of society. i.e. voluntary compliance vs officially mandated and enforced.

Based on what is reported there seems to be a substantial level of compliance on a voluntary basis. This makes me wonder how significant the differences are compared to places that are under lockdown. There are certainly some differences, but the extent is unclear to me.

What is clear is that the widespread representation of Sweden’s approach seems inaccurate, both by critics as well as those who use Sweden as an example in their arguments against lockdowns and in favor of herd immunity.

As for whether Sweden’s measures are sufficient, only time will tell.

[Lightbringer]

@Coscar

Anyone else getting :confounded: ‘sick’ of ‘My Pillow’ commercials?

Just get the Dy Pillow, then! :laughing:

- YouTube

Anyone using the youtube wants “Grammarly” to die a horrible fiery death?

And what kind of idiot name is “Grammarly”? Turn a noun into an adverb?

“Yes, I wrote my last report very grammarly. Much more grammarly than last time.”

“Yum, I fried those pork-chops somewhat chickenly for dinner last night, too.”

[Cayenne]

@Macka17

Good on the old boy. Hope he gets another coupla mill to go with it.

That age is one I don’t want to live to.
Too old. Frail.

Just breathing is NOT everything.
A LIFE you can live… is important too.
Walk around an old folks home sometime. NOOOO thank’s.

When you can’t do what you want with your body. AND mind.
Pull the plug and move over for somebody else is my way of thinking.
As long as it’s quick. So what. We all do it. (Die)
Tried it once. Too young. Came back (49yrs)
I’m 78 starting to lose balance and not doing what I used to, comfortably any more.

It’s you young ones this frightens.
To us oldies (A lot of us). It’s just another serve of the flu.
A different way to keep the mortality rates up hey.

There’s a coupla Billion too many here now.
and you haven’t got the sense to stop the indiscriminate breeding yet.

---

“”As long as you stay behind the green doors”“””

That line in a post above. Triggered an ooold memory.
1957. the yr b4 I went into English army for a Trade.

Frankie Vaughan. Greek crooner/singer. “Behind the Green Door.”
Great Personality.
Anybody else here remember that old stuff?..
You could understand every word they sang in those days…

” Be of good cheer about death and know this as a truth, that no evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death ”
-Socrates

And yes, I know that tune. Wishing you and yours all the best.

[Coscar]

@Lightbringer

Problem is, The Rich™ aren’t those who buzz around in private jets or flash their bling all over. They’re people like me who almost live like paupers (well…) to be able to save like a squirrel, and enjoy zero debt. (Trust me, you breathe a lot easier when you don’t have to “service” a debt.)

:+1: I agree…… Free time belongs to you until you sell it.
Ive always believed the most valuable thing anyone can own is FREE time and always viewed working for someone else as ‘selling’ my free time. I worked as a self-employed carpenter most of my life. When I would finish a job, I would take off a while(months) and because I was always in demand I could go back to ‘selling my free time’ whenever it was necessary. Since I seldom worked more than 6mo/year I didnt ‘squirrel’ away a bunch of money and paid very little income tax although I was able to buy a few acres and build a pretty nice house. Essentially, I was semi-retired the first half of my adult life until I actually ‘really retired’ 20years ago and Ive been living on what little Social Security I was due since.
Because I never paid a lot into the ‘system’ I only receive $625/mo that I paid into Social Security which is automatically deposited in my acct. Since I dont trust banks, the first thing I do after the money is deposited every month is withdraw $300 and put it away and live on the remainder. Most folks cant imagine (or even survive) living on $625/mo…… but I live on half that and still save $300/mo. I have been doing that EVERY month for 20years …… I’ll let you do the math :student:
Because I learned early on not to want things that are not worth trading my FREE time for, Ive managed to squirrel away more than I could ever ‘need’ and I cant think of anything that I ‘need’ that I do not ‘have’ and most importantly, I am Happy and Content. To me, that is what is important and NO amount of money can buy it. I feel sorry for those folks that spend their lives working for ‘one thing after another’ thinking each of those things will bring them happiness but when it doesnt, they continue the cycle of believeing that wanting more will produce happiness, so they continue to sell their free time and happiness eludes them …………… the only thing that I have to worry about(like a squirrel) is remembering where my ‘nuts’ are buried. :person_facepalming:

FWIW…. Besides having a bad memory, I have security cameras, trip wires, attack dogs and I will shoot trespassers

Edit: Damn…… I just realized Ive only been retired for 10years…… I only have 1/2 the nuts I thought. Anyway, Im Happy(most of the time)

[pennzy]

Property taxes and electric bills must be low.