Corona - what does help you? Your fears, thoughts, everything

[CellarDweller]

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/20/6-reasons-why-americans-arent-returning-to-work.html

[Sason]

I've been seeing bare shelves at the grocery store again, only in different areas. The toilet paper situation is just fine, but the produce is iffy and the meat section is really awful. Yesterday I had the choice of icky looking pork roasts, whole chickens, poorly wrapped beef and fish. In the bread section, the toasting bread was half as tall as it usually is. Oddly, the sushi section was completely stocked and there were rows of colorful decorated birthday cakes.

I was assigned to get some children's laxative by my daughter and despite going to three places, I only found huge containers of Miralax for adults. The pharmacist told me I could just cut the adult dose in half. No way!

Try prunes. They work great.

A couple of them a day will dissolve any constipation.

Children usually like them (my grandson does), if not you can cook them in a little water to a compote.

[Front-Ranger]

... are leaving their jobs. The question is, where are they going? How are they getting by? I've seen a lot of stories about the employees leaving part, but only one about how they're supporting themselves, and that one didn't really answer the question. It said some are retiring early, filing for social security, or are just broke. But what about all the people too young to retire? And when they're broke, why don't they get another job? I don't get it.

I think quite a few people, especially parents, are realizing that they just can't afford to work these minimum wage jobs. When you consider child care, insurance, transportation, clothing, lunches out, education, taxes, etc. it is questionable whether there is any profit in it or are you just throwing your time/life away? Some women I know have changed their careers to being caregivers and educators of their own children. Or their partners have. That could add up to half of the service-sector workforce, a big chunk.

Also, people are taking advantage of an economic tool that was available most of the time but few knew or used it: reducing expenses. Whether it was something small like not going to concerts, since there weren't any, or something big like moving back in with your parents or sharing your home with friends, this can mean that you don't have to take just any job but can wait for a better job to present itself. In Colorado, we are nearly back to full employment and many people have left the minimum wage, service sector. Looking over my expenses from last year, I was shocked at how little I spent on food since I now prepare about 90% of my meals myself from scratch. Some weeks, I've been spending as little as $20/week on food. Yet I never feel like I don't have enough; quite the opposite. Back in the before times I would go out for lunch with R. and it was common for us to spend $60-$70 on one meal.

[serious crayons]

I think quite a few people, especially parents, are realizing that they just can't afford to work these minimum wage jobs. When you consider child care, insurance, transportation, clothing, lunches out, education, taxes, etc. it is questionable whether there is any profit in it or are you just throwing your time/life away? Some women I know have changed their careers to being caregivers and educators of their own children. Or their partners have. That could add up to half of the service-sector workforce, a big chunk.

With a minimum-wage service job, it's almost impossible to afford child care, especially for more than one child.

But parents with higher-paying jobs should calculate not just what they'll save from week to week if they leave their jobs but what it will cost them in the future. If one partner is working (in a heterosexual couple that's usually the dad, of course), he's gaining job experience, employability, promotions, raises, 401(k) contributions, Social Security benefits. The one who stays at home with the kids is gaining a hole in her resume.

If the couple stays together forever, that may not be a problem. If they get divorced or the stay-at-home is widowed, it could be a big problem for the stay-at-home.

[Front-Ranger]

Caution: this is disgusting but I felt like I had to share it.

These little bags of white rice were left on the doorsteps in a neighborhood near mine. The paper inside lists members of the Center for Disease Control with "Jewish"  by each name. On the reverse is a picture of three white girls/women and the words "Save Our Race, don't get vaccinated."

  It's the 21st Century, for God's sake! These people are a disgrace. I hope they are exposed.

[serious crayons]

Every day I'm baffled anew by how so many people these days can be so stupid.

[Sason]

This is atrocious and disgusting.

But, sadly, I'm not surprised. The antivaxx movement is deeply mixed with antisemitism, as are all conspiracy theories. That's one thing they all have in common. It's always, always the Jews' fault.

Here in Sweden the antivaxx movement is a strange concoction of people from way different movements: new age, alternative health, antisemites, right wingers, nazism, conspiracy theorists, science deniers, you name it.
It's probably the same in every country.

[Sason]

As for that paper, I can personally vouch for Mikael Dolsten.

He is indeed Jewish. He is also Swedish and I know him and his wife personally 

[CellarDweller]

God, people can be so stupid.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Beginning today, you no longer have to prove you've been vaccinated to get into a restaurant in Philadelphia.