COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

[bambamcam4ever]

I am not disagreeing. Not entirely anyways.

Although just like thinking that America is the only place with stupid selfish people when it comes to C-19, the situation of older people voting, younger people not, and older people being selfish, also is a tale as old as time.

Other factors are going on, including a lot of young people wanting to live packed like sardines in coastal cities. I look in Pittsburgh and house prices are not ridiculously expensive at all. And just like in past times those who get educated or acquire skills in demand are getting paid very well.

The issues are for a limited segment. And is more because of the changes in the world, not because of those damn greedy rich, although that makes a better, and easier to use, story.

Just like when we went from an agrarian to an industrial based economy, those who insist on 'saving' their job on the farm were out of luck. Rightly so, they had to learn new skills. Unskilled labor is being replaced by robotics and AI, rapidly. It is not going back. Trying to 'save' those jobs is like fighting against the sun rising, impossible.

I agree with the bolded, I have little doubt those sentiments have been common for generations. However, there was always an implicit promise in America, that parents would give their children a better future than they inherited. And that held up for close to two centuries, until the generation of people born after WWII, who were given every economic advantage possible, decided that they and they alone should be the recipients of the advantage they inherited.

And you are accurate on your assessment of economic change. Due to advancements in technology, opportunity of jobs and entire regions will dwindle away. And short of state control of the economy, which I don't think anyone is advocating for, there is little that can be done. Of course, people will and should acquire new skills, but this takes time, and when you have machines who replace labor entirely, there will be an abundance of people who want to make money, but a shortage in employer demand for labor.

And I say this as an engineer who won't be harmed as this shift is taking place, but I recognize not everyone had the same advantages I did.

 

[KIRK]

Depends on the prices of houses you're looking at. It seems like all I see in Pittsburgh are $300k+ houses. I wouldn't be comfortable paying that for a house unless I was making like $90k or more.

But again, I'm much more conservative with money than most I think.

From a lending perspective, I think you're talking a 35% debt to gross income ratio that they'll use. If you're otherwise debt free, you can get that 300K mortgage (figuring taxes, etc) based on 65K income. BUT, if you've also $750 in other monthly obligations (car loan, student loans, etc), 90K actually isn't conservative at all . . .

Meanwhile, to make sure this is COVID focused, @NMK11 . . . my homework project shows todays Florida ICU beds flexed to 5202 (down about 92 beds from yesterday) and shows 16.12% availability (about 0.50-0.75% more than yesterday):

Workbook: Public

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I agree with the bolded, I have little doubt those sentiments have been common for generations. However, there was always an implicit promise in America, that parents would give their children a better future than they inherited. And that held up for close to two centuries, until the generation of people born after WWII, who were given every economic advantage possible, decided that they and they alone should be the recipients of the advantage they inherited.

And you are accurate on your assessment of economic change. Due to advancements in technology, opportunity of jobs and entire regions will dwindle away. And short of state control of the economy, which I don't think anyone is advocating for, there is little that can be done. Of course, people will and should acquire new skills, but this takes time, and when you have machines who replace labor entirely, there will be an abundance of people who want to make money, but a shortage in employer demand for labor.

And I say this as an engineer who won't be harmed as this shift is taking place, but I recognize not everyone had the same advantages I did.

What we should be doing is investing in resources to help people learn new skills in newly forming industries to remain useful. In fact there are many of those resources out there, but we should invest more.

And we should also educate people to understand the reality of the situation so that they can move forward with skills instead of being fearful and looking back.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'm curious for people's expectations, do people think that things will be back to normal by the middle of next year?

Because flights from Pittsburgh to Tokyo are under $400 from now until May 2021, and if things are going to be normal by then, it's well worth it to buy them now

 

[The Old Master]

It's actually just that they have less wealth due to older generations consistently voting for policies that solely enhance their own status with no regard for the future. When you combine that with this older generation not retiring and pushing down earnings for younger people for close to a decade, it's not a shock they can't buy a house.

not far off. once the politicians found out how easy it is to buy votes, they have been promising everything to every body and not caring about how to pay for it. kicking the can down the road and you know who's going to get stuck with the bill.

 

[KIRK]

I'm curious for people's expectations, do people think that things will be back to normal by the middle of next year?

Because flights from Pittsburgh to Tokyo are under $400 from now until May 2021, and if things are going to be normal by then, it's well worth it to buy them now

Do you have the $400 to gamble?

Joke aside, I'd be stunned if there isn't a fully available vaccine by then, in which case things should be pretty normal (unless of course the proverbial bar is moved again, like it was with flatten the curve, to say 'only once we've had 6-12 months to see if the vaccine works for the population at large').

The bigger question is what, if any, travel restrictions Japan will have in place for people entering from the US (why I made the gamble joke).

P.S.: Tokyo is incredible

 

[Empoleon8771]

Do you have the $400 to gamble?

Joke aside, I'd be stunned if there isn't a fully available vaccine by then, in which case things should be pretty normal (unless of course the proverbial bar is moved again, like it was with flatten the curve, to say 'only once we've had 6-12 months to see if the vaccine works for the population at large').

The bigger question is what, if any, travel restrictions Japan will have in place for people entering from the US (why I made the gamble joke).

P.S.: Tokyo is incredible

I can use my stimulus check to gamble on that

Holy crap that's actually a fantastic idea. I don't know that COVID-19 will be eliminated by then, but I imagine that things will be mostly back to normal, right? Especially considering the days I was looking at were late April to mid May.

 

[KIRK]

I can use my stimulus check to gamble on that

Holy crap that's actually a fantastic idea. I don't know that COVID-19 will be eliminated by then, but I imagine that things will be mostly back to normal, right? Especially considering the days I was looking at were late April to mid May.

Given that the flu still exists and claims lives, I'm sure COVID-19 won't be eliminated by then (or perhaps ever). But yes I think things SHOULD be mostly back to normal by then.

As I said, just keep your eye on any destination specific travel restrictions . . . I think that's your biggest potential pitfall.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Given that the flu still exists and claims lives, I'm sure COVID-19 won't be eliminated by then (or perhaps ever). But yes I think things SHOULD be mostly back to normal by then.

As I said, just keep your eye on any destination specific travel restrictions . . . I think that's your biggest potential pitfall.

Yeah that makes sense. Luckily Air Canada is offering a pretty good deal for any flights when it comes to change policy (1 free change for any travel between now and August 2021 if you book by August 2020), so I think it's definitely worth the gamble. If it doesn't pay off, just bump it back into later 2021 and pay the extra at that point.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Just checking in to see if whats his name has owned up to the fact that Seinfeld sucks and this is worse than the regular flu yet.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Do you have the $400 to gamble?

Joke aside, I'd be stunned if there isn't a fully available vaccine by then, in which case things should be pretty normal (unless of course the proverbial bar is moved again, like it was with flatten the curve, to say 'only once we've had 6-12 months to see if the vaccine works for the population at large').

The bigger question is what, if any, travel restrictions Japan will have in place for people entering from the US (why I made the gamble joke).

P.S.: Tokyo is incredible

How long is a flight to Tokyo? 20 hours total? More including layover?

You would have to pay me to make that flight.

 

[Empoleon8771]

How long is a flight to Tokyo? 20 hours total? More including layover?

You would have to pay me to make that flight.

I think the flight I was looking at was 16 or 17 via Pittsburgh. About a 2.5 hour flight to Toronto, hour and a half layover in Toronto and then a 12 hour flight to Tokyo.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I think the flight I was looking at was 16 or 17 via Pittsburgh. About a 2.5 hour flight to Toronto, hour and a half layover in Toronto and then a 12 hour flight to Tokyo.

I wouldn't take that ticket in cattle car coach for free.