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The Coronavirus Dis...
 

The Coronavirus Discussion Thread.

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The last time youth got "political" it was the early 90s and the government then were terrified. Turned out, they weren't getting political at all, they were just all out getting pilled up in a field.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 2:35 pm
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Covid and Brexit are revealing just how selfish the oldies are.

Perhaps not more selfish just been asked do you want it easy or do you want it hard more often. People choose easy. We don't exactly do social responsibility and collective good as a society. After all the we need to avoid single use and littering we still managed to learn nothing and start flinging masks and gloves about the place.

On today's announcement about restrictions.

The six months out one was a bit oh moment - mainly because it sees me beyond my expected redundancy point if the re-structure goes as proposed. Not really a poor me more just an oh that's going to feel a bit weird not seeing a lot of people I've worked with.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 2:38 pm
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If they end furlough next month then what state this countries economy is going to be in tatters before they even factor in Brexit

I just want these wise (but perhaps not 100% coherent) words from Binners on this page (they fit in with much of what Dazh has been saying that others have received so negatively). A change of tack is required from the government as regards helping businesses and workers... and the opposition need to offer cooperation in shaping that help... build on and improve on what has been done already this year. Just saying "it's not full lock down" isn't enough to save many sectors, and those that work in them, from the damage that's heading their way (and is heading their way no matter how loose/tight restrictions end up being).


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 2:58 pm
 dazh
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Covid and Brexit are revealing just how selfish the oldies are.

How exactly? By harking back to an era where people had each others backs and some semblance of collective community spirit? You could easily argue that the younger generation are an entitled, selfish and disrespectful rabble who throw their dummies out the pram if they don't have the latest iphone. That would be wrong too. There's a lot more that unites the old and young than divides them. These stupid divisions just play into the culture war nonsense which benefits the right wing and their paymasters.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:01 pm
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Turned out, they weren’t getting political at all, they were just all out getting pilled up in a field.

They had time to then. Unlikely you can get pilled up at all if you are constantly looking at your phone wondering if your 'employer' is going to call and expect you in for a couple of hours work, starting in 20 minutes.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:02 pm
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If they end furlough next month then what state this countries economy is going to be in tatters before they even factor in Brexit

That was indeed complete nonsense, but thankfully you got the gist

Small businesses are just going to call it a day, en masse if they just announce this and leave everyone to fend for themselves without support. They've all taken huge hits on their incomes with minimal government support. Some, like the industry I work in, with absolutely no government support at all. You can weather that for 6 months, but then the government says 'oh yeah... you'll need to do another six months...". Well you just can't. It's just not possible.

Business failures are now about to go stratospheric

Add in the huge amount of job losses that will have just have been rubber-stamped on the back of that speech, once furlough ends... where this countries economy is heading just doesn't bear thinking about.

Chuck in a no-deal brexit on top of all this and they could be taking an absolute wrecking ball to the entire economy

This government seems to have absolutely zero understanding of how an economy actually functions


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:06 pm
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How exactly? By harking back to an era where people had each others backs and some semblance of collective community spirit?

The counter to that is perhaps if rent wasn't so high and people were not constantly looking for a new place to live maybe they would stay somewhere long enough to build that community spirit. When I was renting I moved pretty much yearly due to landlords increasing rent for no reason


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:09 pm
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The counter to that is perhaps if rent wasn’t so high and people were not constantly looking for a new place to live maybe they would stay somewhere long enough to build that community spirit. When I was renting I moved pretty much yearly due to landlords increasing rent for no reason

Keep the rats fighting each other in the sack - then they won't have time to think about how they could pool their efforts to actually get out of the goddamn sack.

Toryism in a nutshell.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:17 pm
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I'm surprised at how light the restrictions were.

What do they amount to really? Early closure of pubs, I'm amazed they're allowed to open at all, but Table Service and a 10pm closure isn't bad, it's enough to keep the sensible diners and drinkers coming, and at least try to stop the pissheads hugging.

15 max weddings, I'm sure if you have the "wedding of the century" booked for next week it's earth shattering, but Wedding Season is largely over.

Work from home "if you can". Pfft, I think most people who could work from home, did so anyway. I know the local commuter train station carpark has been empty since March.

The tough bit is that the regulations are so mild, I don't see even a reduced / industry specific furlough extension coming. It's a terrifying prospect really. I think most people assumed the Furlough scheme reducing as lock down eased, but it hasn't it peaked at 9.6m in August and has stayed there ever since. No easy answer for that. It costs £40bn a month to keep the scheme going, but if unemployment jumps from 1.3m to 10m it could cause the economy to collapse.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:30 pm
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Indeed... when people say we can't afford the government helping business and workers throughout this winter, they ignore the cost of not doing so... or underestimate that cost.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:34 pm
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but Table Service and a 10pm closure isn’t bad, it’s enough to keep the sensible diners and drinkers coming, and at least try to stop the pissheads hugging

This is not a sustainable business model. People running bars - and I've got a couple of mates who do - have lost tens of thousands of pounds over this period. Now they've just been told they'll lose tens of thousands more as their capacity will remain at 25% of pre-covid levels.

Has their rent gone down 75%? No. Have their suppliers knocked their prices down by 75%? No. So the figures no longer add up.

A lot of bars and restaurants and many, many other businesses will just call it a day now on the strength of this, as their business model is simply no longer viable. I'd be amazed if every single hospitality business isn't presently doing the maths and reaching the conclusion that its time to throw in the towel

Prepare for a wave of business failures that will make the banking crisis look like a picnic


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:37 pm
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Well the pub early closure and table service only measures are great for us middle-aged people. I don't want to have to queue up for beer like I did in my youth

😉


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:38 pm
 dazh
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when people say we can’t afford the government helping business and workers throughout this winter

It's not that they don't think the govt can afford it, they just don't want them to do it, because it goes against their warped idea of 'fairness'. They don't care if people suffer, as long as its not them. It's the logical end result of Thatcherism (yes it is all her fault before anyone asks). Add in the usual lies about national credit cards and you quickly get to 'why should my grandkids (who presumably will receive a lovely inheritance) pay for bailing out lazy scroungers'.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:43 pm
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I think most people assumed the Furlough scheme reducing as lock down eased, but it hasn’t it peaked at 9.6m in August and has stayed there ever since. 

I imagine many employers have 'found efficiencies' whilst employees have been on furlough and the non-furloughed staff (glad to still be earning and be low down the redundo list) have been doing 125% of their usual hours.

Some employers will have viewed this as a government-funded 'process review' exercise. In other cases it will have shown up where employees were actually taking the piss to some extent.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:43 pm
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Has their rent gone down 75%? No. Have their suppliers knocked their prices down by 75%? No.

In my village, the one pub's owners just kicked out the standing landlord/lady for not making a months rent - they'd been there for around 15 years I believe.

The other pub, chain brewery owned, has only just opened up for food services, give or take, on skeleton staff.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:45 pm
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Well the pub early closure and table service only measures are great for us middle-aged people. I don’t want to have to queue up for beer like I did in my youth

You'll still be queuing at the one remaining pub on the street when the other three have closed.

P.S. I know your post was tongue in cheek.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:46 pm
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I don’t want to have to queue up for beer like I did in my youth

It's alright, if there ends up being very few pubs left, your queuing concerns will become irrelevant. Wetherspoons will always be there, I suppose... enjoy their table service.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:46 pm
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This is not a sustainable business model. People running bars – and I’ve got a couple of mates who do – have lost tens of thousands of pounds over this period. Now they’ve just been told they’ll lose tens of thousands more as their capacity will remain at 25% of pre-covid levels.

Has their rent gone down 75%? No. Have their suppliers knocked their prices down by 75%? No.

A lot of bars and restaurants will just call it a day now on the strength of this today as their business is simply no longer tangible. I’d be amazed if every single hospitality business isn’t presently doing the maths and reaching the conclusion that its time to call it a day

It could be, I'm not saying it will be easy, far from, but from my limited experience the sorts of places that keep the doors open by selling drinks to drinkers are the sorts of places that, whilst not promoting, certainly facilitate binge drinking culture, and it's completely incompatible with pandemics.

The pubs, at least local to me that don't go for that market are all but restaurants these days. How much more would that have to charge to make the economics work? £1 a drink £2, £3 - don't get me wrong I winced the first time a paid real folding money (well, a fiver) for a pint, but I'd pay £8 a pint, if it was brought to me.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:48 pm
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Difficult to know where to start with that, really.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you've never run a business?

Have you any idea the margins most hospitality businesses operate on?

"Oh, we'll just charge everyone 8 quid a pint" isn't really a business model, is it?

"Yes, sir, 30 pounds is a bit steep for a burger, but on the plus side we will bring it to your table..."


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 3:52 pm
 dazh
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“Oh, we’ll just charge everyone 8 quid a pint” isn’t really a business model, is it?

Unless they're selling a double dry-hopped cloudy IPA in a pretty can 😉


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 4:04 pm
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I’d pay £8 a pint, if it was brought to me.

Don't tell the wife or she won't bring me another can from the fridge


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 4:07 pm
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it makes them simultaneously protective and resentful. They know they can’t put their head above the parapet at work because there is a conveyor belt of applicants who haven’t got anything at all – threatening their small crumb of security.

Maybe if the youth were to be more organised politically things could really change, but those in charge don't want either.

For restaurants locally have closed. Gastro works on thin margins.

A mate has a bar /restaurant... His landlord has paused his rent (7k/month) for now, but wants full payment at the end of the year.... 56k that he hasn't got. His current turnover is covering staff wages and not much more, and that is with the good weather we've been having. Can't see him doing so well come the colder months when no one wants to sit inside.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 4:09 pm
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Have you any idea the margins most hospitality businesses operate on?

Not directed at me I know, but...

The chain pub near us made all its cash over the sunny weekends during the summer holiday, and Christmas. If summer weather was bad, it might not make a bean all year. The other ten months were dead loss or break even on a really good month. That is/was a mainly "family Sunday lunch" type pub. Dead during the week. Locals mostly drank at the other pub... the one that just kicked the landlord out.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 4:11 pm
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Don’t tell the wife or she won’t bring me another can from the fridge

Helps if you have kids, you can just defer the orders down the chain.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 4:28 pm
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OK, question for those in the know.

Colleague has today (22/9) failed a temp check at doctors, and been advised to get a test.

We all were in the office together last Wednesday (16/9) - this was the last time that they physically met anyone from work.

What happens (if anything) to all of us from the office if the test is positive - our contact with them would be six or possibly seven days prior to the hypothetical positive test.

I did mention beforehand (only verbally) that it was stupid for us all to be together, due to work implications if all of us simultaneously had to self isolate.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 4:30 pm
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Colleague has today (22/9) failed a temp check at doctors, and been advised to get a test.

We all were in the office together last Wednesday (16/9) – this was the last time that they physically met anyone from work.

Nowt, its 48hrs from onset of symptoms AFAIK. Has to be 15mins between 1 or 2m or 1min less than 1min.

My pox ridden other half has just spent about 4hrs trying to fill the form in as she us so racked with guilt. I had to firmly explain that 1.5m was actually between 1 and 2m!!! Unsurprisingly the system has now locked her out!


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 4:43 pm
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Helps if you have kids, you can just defer the orders down the chain.

Things don't make it past the removal from the fridge stage in this household!


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 4:48 pm
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Nowt, its 48hrs from onset of symptoms AFAIK. Has to be 15mins between 1 or 2m or 1min less than 1min.

Very releived on behalf of my business.

At least some of us would have failed the bold bit above.

They were completely unaware of their raised temperature, and had no other symptoms, only found out due to compulsory scan at GP.

Has a primary aged kid, so probably something from school.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 4:49 pm
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Getting deja vu from March. I'm trying to secure a couple of dozen laptops for a client. The ones I ordered yesterday have been cancelled. Trying to find more, they're £20 more a unit, back to the client, they suck air through their teeth, go back to supplier - oops they're gone, next lot are £20 more again so back, missed those...

Client has gone back to their FD to agree a big leap in budget... meanwhile stocks are disappearing quickly.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 5:02 pm
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Maybe my work experience distorts stuff a bit (i work in tech) but I can't for the life of me think why in this day and age people don't have laptops. I haven't have a desktop work computer for about 7 or 8 years and laptops are more than powerful enough to handle pretty much anything these days.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 5:10 pm
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Had to go and do a shop earlier - panic buying in full spree again, bog roll, flour, piss, the works. People are mental.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 5:14 pm
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Because the historical perception of laptops is that they are a bit shit and historical perception persists.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 5:17 pm
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Maybe my work experience distorts stuff a bit (i work in tech) but I can’t for the life of me think why in this day and age people don’t have laptops. I haven’t have a desktop work computer for about 7 or 8 years and laptops are more than powerful enough to handle pretty much anything these days.

I think that will be the case in the near future.

We I advise on hardware to clients we always recommend desktops for users who aren't mobile.

Lower cost.
Longer average working life.
Easier to comply with GDPR / Cyber Essentials+.
Far less change of accidental damage.

And unless clients are willing to go to the expense of docks, dual screens, larger screens, full KB+M etc cuts down on HR issues.

And like for like (i3 v i3, i5 v i5 etc) desktops are faster, more powerful etc.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 5:19 pm
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People are mental.

One thing I have to remind myself of regularly is (and this is me giving the GINO* a bit of slack) that there are a lot of utter cretins out there. If they have to tailor their message so at least 90% of the country understand it (or can be arsed looking up from their iPhones for more than ten seconds) it is likely to have to involve cartoon strip images.

Like the ones you used to see in swimming pools - "No Petting".

*Government In Name Only


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 5:21 pm
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yeh, i guess thats all very true. Im just a designer so only really running low cpu usage stuff. Although im a product designer at a bank and the security stuff is a pain! I have to run a windows portal thing on my mac to use all the HR related stuff.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 5:25 pm
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panic buying in full spree again, bog roll, flour, piss, the works.

Don't worry, you can make your own, with beer, and a bit of time.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 5:42 pm
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I can’t for the life of me think why in this day and age people don’t have laptops

My school cant afford to get me one.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 6:29 pm
 Tim
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This government seems to have absolutely zero understanding of how an economy actually functions

I think they do, they just don't care about anyone apart from themselves


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 6:37 pm
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Just read p-jay's post.

As much as I want folks to abide by the rules to protect my mid 70s folks, it's hard to argue with anything he's posted there.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 6:38 pm
 Tim
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The WFH statement seems pointless unless it's enforced. You can only work from home if your employer allows you to...

My employer has spent thousands on 'covid-safing' the offices in order to bring people back in to the office. Letting them stay at home would have been cheaper and safer


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 6:41 pm
 Tim
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tpbiker
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Just read p-jay’s post.

As much as I want folks to abide by the rules to protect my mid 70s folks, it’s hard to argue with anything he’s posted there.

Yep. I've hardly seen my parents as my dad in particular is very high risk. Xmas is going to be hard this year.

But it is difficult to sympathise with those people (mainly older generation s) whose complaint is they aren't making as much on their savings and investments when the younger generation is at risk of eviction or defaulting on their mortgages, all in an effort to keep the older generation alive...


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 6:52 pm
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Okay... I praised Johnson and Starmer for their speeches today... and then along comes Sturgeon to blow them out of the water again... everything clear, reasoned and communicated in a way "our" leaders still fall well short of... and they've had six months to learn how to do this.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 7:08 pm
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FFS - Trump - FFS

"the nation that unleashed this plague"

To the UN.

FFS


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 7:18 pm
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Had to go and do a shop earlier – panic buying in full spree again, bog roll, flour, piss, the works. People are mental.

I went to my local Morrisons eariler and some items such as tins and pasta etc., were running low. It really pisses me off that some people can be so utterly thick. I also blame the likes of the Daily Mail for posting picture of empty shelves and being alarmist. It's totally irresponsible because it creates the panic.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 7:21 pm
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Well, my 11yo has been ejected from Secondary as he has a cough and general malaise - no other symptoms.   Done his homework and is in bed.  I've succumbed to thinking he should have a test, but guess what, nothing available.


 
Posted : 22/09/2020 7:31 pm
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