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feminist-space · 1 year

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"Long COVID has destroyed my life

I would love nothing more than to “finally ignore COVID,” as the headline to Dr. Ashish Jha’s July 31 op-ed reads (“With a few basic steps, most of us can finally ignore COVID”). As a healthy, vaccinated, and recently boosted 35-year-old, I did what he said: I ignored COVID-19 on a weekend trip with friends in September 2022. But the infection I got as a result has all but destroyed my life.

A week after my infection, I began to experience intense fatigue, overwhelming headaches, and cognitive challenges that continue to this day. These symptoms are debilitating: I can no longer work, socialize, or travel. My finances are dire. And if I am unable to avoid another infection, my condition may deteriorate even further.

Jha wrote of long COVID “treatments” being promising. Perhaps he could clarify what treatments he is referring to, because my doctors say that there are no approved treatments for long COVID.

A recent study funded by the NIH’s RECOVER initiative showed that 10 percent of adults infected with COVID still have symptoms six months later, even with vaccination. By downplaying the prevalence and debilitating outcomes of even moderate long COVID, Jha is signing thousands of people up to the misery and despair with which I live every day.

Ezra J. Spier

Oakland, Calif.

Another view from infectious disease doctors

As infectious disease doctors, we disagree with Dr. Jha’s contention that it is time to ignore COVID-19.

Yes, being vaccinated and taking Paxlovid thankfully decrease the risk of severe disease. But only 43 percent of people age 65 and over and only 17 percent of all Americans had received an updated COVID vaccination by May 2023, and access to Paxlovid treatment is inequitable by race and insurance status.

Long-term complications of COVID can be devastating, including after second infections.

More than half a million Americans have died since the summer of 2021, when sufficient vaccine doses were available: COVID death rates in the United States continue to be double those of Canada. Termination of free tests and “commercialization” of medications as implemented by the federal government will only widen our country’s grisly COVID-related health disparities.

Inevitably, ignoring COVID leads to ignoring the slow-motion epidemic of long COVID. Standing up against such neglect, leaders like Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Governor Maura Healey can promote meaningful measures to protect our communities: air purification in all schools and public spaces; free COVID-preventive masks (KN95 or N95, not surgical masks); tests, vaccines, and Paxlovid for all who cannot afford to buy them; and concern for and support of long COVID victims.

Dr. Julia Koehler

Boston

Dr. Regina LaRocque

Wellesley

We remain vulnerable to long COVID

Ashish Jha’s position as former White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator is a conflict of interest masquerading as a qualification for his op-ed. Researchers who study long COVID stated in a recent paper in Nature Reviews Immunology that “the oncoming burden of long COVID faced by patients, health-care providers, governments and economies is so large as to be unfathomable.” Rapid tests, which are less accurate with recent strains while PCR tests are less available, and low death rates give a false sense of security.

I agree that despite progress, more buildings need the air filtration and ventilation that would make public life safer. But Jha omits our vulnerability to long COVID after even mild infections, its devastating effects, and higher death rates for hospital-acquired COVID-19, combined with a lack of collective protection in health care settings with unmasked, untested people who prefer to ignore COVID-19.

Aside from advocating vaccines, he describes an everyone-for-themselves approach, not mentioning responsibility to protect others or access to essentials.

Jha dines in a restaurant with his friends while patients even in leading cancer hospitals are forced into Russian roulette, thanks to this approach.

Kathryn Nichols

Cambridge

Vigilance is necessary to prevent long COVID

While I understand the desire to promote optimism amid the ongoing pandemic, I am deeply concerned about the potential consequences of downplaying the importance of COVID precautions and the significant risk of long COVID. As a person living with long COVID for the last 16 months despite being vaccinated and boosted, I have experienced post-exertional malaise, fatigue, headaches, joint and muscle pain, cognitive dysfunction, and more symptoms that have continued to today. I have tried numerous medicines, supplements, and even participated in a clinical trial, only to find limited relief from the persistent effects of this virus.

Such a stance overlooks the reality that millions more people could end up with long COVID if we fail to remain vigilant in our efforts to combat the virus. Long COVID is a devastating consequence of this virus, and we cannot rely solely on vaccinations to end the pandemic. Even with widespread vaccination, the risk of contracting long COVID remains high. A recent study funded by the NIH’s RECOVER initiative showed that 10 percent of adults infected with COVID still have symptoms six months later. Minimizing the significance of long COVID not only neglects the suffering of long-haulers but also risks undermining public health efforts to control the spread of the virus.

By raising awareness about the risk of long COVID, media outlets can play a pivotal role in educating the public and promoting continued vigilance. Responsible reporting on the enduring impact of long COVID can serve as a reminder that the pandemic is far from over and that we must remain committed to taking necessary precautions to protect ourselves and others. Highlighting the struggles of long COVID survivors and the lack of proven treatments can spur further research and medical advancements in addressing this condition. Empathy and support for those living with long COVID are essential in paving the way for better understanding, compassionate care, and better health outcomes for everyone as COVID rates increase again this summer.

Travis Hardy

Norwalk, Conn.

Link https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/08/05/opinion/cant-ignore-long-covid-jha/

#covid #long covid #wear a mask #please wear a mask #the pandemic isn't over

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notfinancialadvice · 2 years

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How I Built an Emergency Fund, inspiration I deeply hope is helpful

As the blog URL says, this is not financial advice. This is how I did this thing, and I am posting it here, publicly, in hopes that it helps you should you need this information.

In short: Remix this advice to what fits your life + do not sue me if this goes poorly for you. This is for Americans, if you do not live in America and/or your money is not in America, I hope this is a useful base.

None of these links are affiliate links.

I write these things as a mental shift. I like to ramble and I wish I had someone tell me this stuff 20+ years ago. I'm hoping this helps you.

This is an incredibly long post so I'm putting it under a KEEP READING.

This post goes over two stages: "short term + not life-or-death" and "long term + actual life or death"

Part 01: SHORT TERM + NOT LIFE-OR-DEATH FUND

You need to find a high yield savings account that is FDIC insured. Ally is a popular bank for this.

Functionally, the only difference between a "high yield savings account" and "savings account" from the giant conglomerate bank down the street is the interest rate.

I do not know why non-high-yield savings accounts exist. I'm guessing because legally they can, and I hate it.

Moving away from my personal socioeconomic views to return to advice.

"FDIC insured" is not something you pay for. It is nearly universal on savings accounts. If a savings account, or a checking account, does NOT have it, then you should not put your money there. Something is wrong with that bank.

FDIC means if your bank goes out of business, your account is insured up to $250,000, per account, by the government. So if your bank goes out of business, the government makes sure you still have your cash (up to $250k).

A high-yield savings account means your cash is available whenever you need it.

Other products, like CDs, exist, but this ramble is designed to be as simple and starter as possible. Begin with a high yield savings account, build up from there as you do your own research + compare this to your needs.

Do not accept an account that has minimum balances. Do not open an account with monthly fees.

Touch this account as little as possible.

For every $1 you put in, every month, a few pennies will materialize. It's not much, but the main point is at every level, your money works for you.

Rich people do this. You can too.

Touch this account as little as possible.

You can have multiple savings accounts.

I personally have a savings account in the above structure designed for "oh hell I am kinda screwed, but will be okay, just need a buffer."

"How much should I have in there?" you might ask. Common advice says "3-6 months expenses" which is a lot. I say "start with literally $1 and continue as you can until comfortable with what is possible, for you, at this time."

Will $1 make you rich? No.

Will it save your life in a bad situation? Probably not.

Does this $1 essentially become a tiny robot that is making you money for as long as it is docked into its cargo bay? ...weird metaphor but we'll go with it, sure.

Ultimately is it a start? Yes.

You can have multiple savings accounts. You can have a savings account "this is for short term emergencies" and "this is for... slightly less short term" etc.

It costs you nothing to have multiple. They all operate in the same way. It's handy to have them all at the same bank because it can make transferring cash easier.

Part 02: LONG TERM + ACTUAL LIFE-OR-DEATH FUND WITH RISK SO BE CAREFUL

Once you have your savings account set up, and it's being funded on a regular basis (every week, every paycheck, every month, every quarter -- whatever works for you), look into creating a second, bigger, more dangerous-term cash reserve.

I like my Roth IRA. This is a link to a proper finance blog that has a lot of details. I am trying to make this handy/simple to get started.

401ks and (non-Roth) IRAs are funded with pre-tax dollars, frequently in conjunction with your job.

Normally, cash goes from job -> government takes a slice -> you.

Pre-tax retirement accounts, cash goes from job -> retirement takes the percentage you decide -> government takes a slice of what is left -> you

Roth IRAs, job -> government takes a slice -> you -> Roth IRA

The benefit to pre-tax retirement accounts being, because the cash going in is pre-tax, there is more of it.

It can grow faster in the stock market or other places your particular fund allows you to put cash into.

The taxes come out when you withdraw -- usually retirement -- because if you withdraw before you retire, you are heavily penalized with extra fees.

That's why Part 02 is a ROTH IRA. Your money has already been taxed -- job -> government's slice -> you -> Roth IRA.

This means the money is yours, already taxed. If you withdraw the gains, those get taxed, but the base, that's yours.

If you invest $100 and it grows to $105, you can withdraw $100 without paying fees or taxes. If you withdraw that extra $5, that is when taxes start to come into play. If you withdraw $100, and leave the $5, the $5 continues to grow, and that extra growth is taxed if withdrawn. So try not to touch it (ideally you leave all of it until retirement).

This is why this is an emergency, life-or-death only, account. You tap it only when you need to when all other choices are wretched and ruinous.

There is an annual limit as to how much money you can put into a Roth IRA (several thousand bucks).

You can start them very small. Like $20 or maybe less.

Look for a bank or institution that does not charge fees to open and maintain one.

AT EVERY STEP YOU SHOULD BE AVOIDING FEES

Here are smart people talking about ideas on how to get started.

Okay, so, what do we do now with this fancy roth thing.

Here is where things get... uncomfortable.

A Roth IRA is an account type.

You need to do something with your money.

The reason you have this in addition to, and secondary to, your high-yield savings account is because this is an investment vehicle, the balance is going to go up and down, and may reach $0.00.

For my Roth IRA, I like "exchange traded funds" -- ETFs.

There are a lot of options -- you can invest in most anything

Because my Roth IRA is built for "help me I'm dying" emergencies, I invest in a mix of S&P 500 index funds and small-cap funds.

SO MANY WORDS.

Let's break this down what this means.

S&P 500 index funds: This is an index fund of giant, giant, giant companies.

An index fund is like a stock. But instead of a single company, it tracks (owns shares of) an index -- like the DOW or Nasdaq. Or countries. Or... the entire market for oil. Etc.

The metaphor isn't completely accurate, but I like to think of it as "an index fund is a company that owns tiny bits of other companies."

Like, okay, say you have SlimeIndexFund and a share price is $40.

In this example, SlimeIndexFund owns $10 worth of "BardCo" and $10 of "ThiefCo" and $10 of "MermaidCo" and $10 of "EvilCo".

Let's say EvilCo does a lot of evil and is now worth $15, and MermaidCo does a lot of mermaid stuff and is now worth $15, and BardCo sings out of tune so is now worth $5. ThiefCo is oddly at the same $10 but we're scared so we're leaving ThiefCo to stay at $10.

A share in SlimeIndexFund is now worth $45. ($5 BardCo + $10 ThiefCo + $15 EvilCo + $15 MermaidCo)

This is diversification

Because I bought an index fund, instead of just buying BardCo, my risk is less.

Had I bought all MermaidCo, my return would be higher -- but this is a much bigger risk.

The entire purpose of this set up of a Roth IRA is TO MINIMIZE RISK.

Your Roth IRA should allow you to buy "fractional shares" and if it doesn't fuck that bank, go somewhere that does.

In the above example, SlimeIndexFund is $40/share and at that price you are getting the full benefit of 1 share.

Let's say you have $10.

You buy a fractional share of SlimeIndexFund for $10, which is 25% of 1 share.

So when SlimeIndexFund shares raise from $40 -> $45, your fractional share goes from $10 -> $12.50.

Not all funds and stock shares (etc) have fractional shares, most do.

It's a great way to start and build.

Small-cap funds: These operate in literally the same way. The difference is the companies are (in comparison) much smaller. They tend to be more nimble.

So I am diversifying between "here is a fund, it has a lot of large companies" and "here is a fund, it has a lot of small companies."

Let's say Big Office Building real estate goes down, but the sale of Small Company Making waffles goes up. This mixes together and I'm less in danger of losing money, or losing much money.

You can pick individual stocks.

The reason it is not recommended, by nearly everyone, is because the market has incredible tools and power over individual stocks.

By using any kind of fund that bundles things together, you are thereby automatically using these tools by proxy

It is critical to understand this is the stock market. Your account will go up and down. It may go down A LOT, like 25%, and take years to recover. Maybe it goes down 100% to literally $0.00.

That's why this is the LAST RESORT EMERGENCY FUND.

So why are we doing this.

This feels... wrong?

The potential for growth is significantly higher than a savings account. Adjusted for inflation, somewhere in between 6-7%.

At this rate, if you can leave your initial deposit alone for somewhere between 10 - 13 years, it has doubled.

This equation recalculates every time you make a deposit. So if you can deposit $20 every pay check, it has the potential to grow very quickly.

As above, this is the stock market, so it can also get wiped out.

But given the stock market has historically always recovered, though it may take several years, the risk is worth it to me + a lot of other people.

The reason this is built as a last-resort cash bucket is because of this risk. Before moving into this arena, you should have other cash buckets as a buffer.

Your RISK is it goes down. Which it will frequently.

Your REWARD is if it goes up. Which historically it has far more than it went down.

The PURPOSE of using funds as described above is so you don't have try to guess who the next Amazon is and wind up picking the next Pets.com (which went out of business, like, a long... long time ago).

The people making the funds figure out who is Amazon and who is Pets.com and work, day and night, to make your money grow and/or protect it when outside influences are hurting the market.

They are incredibly equipped to do this and their literal livelihood is on the line when they do it poorly.

Which is a polite way of saying, they are continuously incentivized above all else to work for the fund you're investing in.

The reason you're doing this in a Roth IRA specifically is you're hoping to keep as much of it intact, as possible, until you retire, at which point -- if you've followed fairly simple rules -- you withdraw the base and gains tax-free.

Whereas money in a normal stock account? Those gains are taxable every year.

"I have literally $20 I can save per pay check! Can I put in $15 into a high-yield savings account and $5 into a Roth IRA to get started?!"

Yes!

Also, congrats! You're diversifying already!

Your Roth IRA broker should allow you to invest a minimum of $1 at a time, and buy fractional shares. If they don't, don't sign up with them!

Lean heavily into your high-yield savings account until that is very comfortable and thick, then push money into the Roth IRA.

Your goal is to build a system that works for you -- both literally (money working for you) and emotionally ("this is comfortable")

"Should I pay off debt before proceeding? A lot of people say to pay off excess debt first."

This is up to you.

Most financial blogs etc. do say "focus on paying off debt first" -- it's good advice, your returns are risk-free and permanent, since the lower your debt is, the less you have to pay over time.

Interest -- working for you or against you -- is continuous and eternal.

Personally, I like to diversify everything, so I not-financial-advice ramble "do all three -- pay down debt, throw a little cash into a high-yield savings, throw a little cash into a Roth IRA"

The problem with "pay off debt first" is that it misses out any occasional giant gains the stock market makes (Roth IRA) and introduces the risk of "I have paid this credit card on time for 5 years, I'm short on change for 3 months due to a situation that gets resolved quickly, and now I have a late payment fee, and a higher interest rate."

Look at your life, finances, and potential future and make decisions!

And also:

Always be on the look out for deals with banks. Sign up bonuses, referral links from friends, etc. Think of it as a money sale.

If you are not comfortable with the idea of a Roth IRA hitting $0.00 potentially, do not do step 02. These are ideas, not directives.

All financial tools can be used for different purposes. All of them. Thus -- these are ideas, not directives.

I am listing a few examples of banks, funds, etc. These are not recommendations nor are they affiliate links. They are listed because I want to maximize your start on this path, but caution, in strongest possible terms, you must do your own research and figure out what makes sense for you.

There are a lot of nuances I am paving over for the sake of simplicity, which is why I am continually saying...

...c'mon say it with me...

...you must do your own research before continuing

Smart, free sites that cover this + a lot of other stuff:

NerdWallet

Bank Rate

One final note about Roth IRAs:

Robinhood currently is offering a 1% match on an IRA. Considering the strict limits of how much an IRA can intake per year, it's not much, but it doesn't cost you anything. Money on sale!

As a final note -- always feel comfortable asking people handling your money for help. They are working for you. Your money works FOR YOU.

If you are uncomfortable, leave, immediately, without concern.

At the retail level, there are hundreds of banks and financial institutions clamoring for your business. If someone makes you uncomfortable for not knowing something, or getting a term wrong, or asking "too many" questions -- go somewhere else.

It doesn't matter if your account is literally worth $20.

They are working for you.

This is a business transaction, and if they make you feel like your time isn't worth their business, I promise you there is someone else who will gladly take care of you.

I end with -- whenever someone is giving you financial advice, always ask why. It helps ensure they aren't scamming you, it's just a good business practice.

I like to ramble, it helps me mentally

I like to be useful, I want the world to be significantly more balanced in terms of who is doing okay

I like to write, this is all good practice for me in doing Various Other Things I do

I fucking hate predatory financial practices. I was gatekept out of financial literacy for decades and so every time I help someone else figure out how to set up their own life and protect themselves it is a giant "fuck you" to the systems and directly to the people who stood in my way.

#money #financial literacy #aging tumblr population #aging tumblr #build wealth #finances #money blog

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chaoticpuff17 · 1 year

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Amygdala

masterlist

chapter 3

Margot couldn’t stop thinking about what Maria had said. There was no way that Yoongi had been in love with her back then. She would have noticed. Wouldn’t she? Or surely he would have said something? But no, that didn’t sound like Yoongi. He wasn’t one for bold proclamations. He’d always favored more subtle gestures of affection like bringing her her favorite drink when she was stressed or letting her pick the activity, but those were all platonic. Nothing had ever come from them. She’d never even dreamed that something would come from their friendship, not in that way at least. They’d just been friends, and that’s all she thought they’d ever be.

It made no sense to her to try to pursue something romantic during her time abroad when she knew that she’d be leaving. Her departure date had been looming over the friendship the entire time she’d known him. They’d both known that eventually she’d go home. It was the natural thing to do, and there was no way that Yoongi, practical as he was, would have developed feelings for her when he had known that she was going to leave.

She on the other hand was not so practical and neither was the crush she’d had on him back then. It was partially why their falling out had been so hard on her.

It had broken her heart in a lot of ways to leave when she had. She’d had to leave Maria and Tae-il. She’d had to leave all her new friends. She’d had to leave Yoongi, but she’d had a life waiting for her back home, and she couldn’t stay. That didn’t make leaving any easier though. It was also what made accepting what she now knew about Yoongi so hard.

Tae-il had described a sort of loan shark operation run by the local gangs. They’d give you a loan when the bank wouldn’t, but the interest rates were criminally high, and the consequences of not repaying your debt were brutal.

Tae-il hadn’t had any other choice though. Maria’s hospital bills had to be paid, and insurance wouldn’t cover everything. The bank had refused to give him a loan, and with no relatives he could turn to, he’d sought a shadier means of paying for Maria’s treatments.

What still confused Margot though was how Yoongi had gotten involved in that kind of business to begin with. He hadn’t been when she’d known him, or at least she didn’t think he had been. But the more she thought about it the more she could see how some of his personality traits might have lended themselves to his success in his chosen field.

The Yoongi she knew could be cold at times, even unfeeling when he wanted to be, and he was wickedly smart. He wasn’t the top of the class, but the way his mind worked was something else. He always knew what to do, always knew how to make the best possible outcome a reality. There wasn’t a problem he couldn’t figure out if he put his mind to it. She always thought that trait would take him far. She just hadn’t imagined that it would be far into the underbelly of society.

She was home for the evening, helping Tae-il around the restaurant, when she was shaken from her thoughts by the sound of Tae-il trying to whisper to someone but failing.

She looked over curiously, and all the blood drained from her face as she saw just who Tae-il was talking to.

There stood Yoongi, completely nonplussed by the older man’s ire. In fact, he looked perfectly relaxed, and he wasn’t even looking at Tae-il. His gaze was firmly fixed on her.

“Tae-il-ssi.” she came over, placing a gentle hand on his arm, telling him without words to step back and let her handle it. Even if Yoongi and her weren’t on the best of terms, they were still on better terms than he and Tae-il seemed to be.

“Margot,” Yoongi greeted her, a small smile on the corner of his lips.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, standing firm with her arms crossed under her chest despite her apprehension.

“I came to take you to dinner.” he shrugged, seemingly unaffected by how they’d parted the last time even if she wasn’t.

“I don’t want to go to dinner with you, Yoongi.” Her tone was soft but firm as she held her position. She didn’t want to seem combative, to spark an argument, but she wanted him in no doubt of the fact that she wanted him gone. “You should go.”

The grin fell from his face, but just as Margot was doing her best to remain non-confrontational, so was Yoongi. He knew she was upset, and he didn’t want to do anything to exacerbate that, but he still wanted to see her, to plead his case. He needed to plead his case.

“I know you’re upset, but,” he began, and her whole body tensed, her eyes flashing ready to fight at the thought of him trying to explain her own feelings to her. “I would like the chance to apologize.” she didn’t say anything, watching him warily. “Please.”

She sighed, uncrossing her arms and trying to figure out a way to get him out of there. “I can’t go to dinner with you.”

Yoongi tilted his head to the side, sizing her up and analyzing to see what the hold up was, why she wouldn’t join him. “Not even one dinner for an old friend?” she inhaled sharply, prickled by the reminder of their friendship and how abruptly the comradery had failed upon their reunion. “Not even to let me explain myself?” She wrapped her arms around herself again as if to shield herself from him. “Come on, jagi.” Her head shot up at the term of endearment. “One dinner won’t kill you.”

“Yoongi…”

“One dinner.” He promised, though he had no intention of keeping it.

“Margot-ah!” a new voice entered the conversation, drawing Yoongi and Margot’s attention away from each other, and to the rather dashing young man who had stepped in with an easy going grin spread across his face.

“Namjoon-ssi.” she greeted, relieved for the interruption.

“Are you ready to go?” He asked.

“Go?” she asked, mildly confused with Yoongi echoing, his eyes darkened as he glanced between the two of them, mind whirling with the possibilities of why she would be going with him.

“Our date.” Namjoon replied easily. “You didn’t forget did you?”

“Our… date…” she spoke slowly, her mind trying to catch up to what he was saying. “Our date! Of course! How silly of me!” she plastered on a bright smile, relief washing over her at the easy exit from her conversation with Yoongi. “Let me just go grab my purse, and I’ll be ready to go, yeah?”

She scampered away, leaving Namjoon and Yoongi alone together, one still with an easy going smile and the other looking two steps away from committing a crime.

“So how long have you known, Margot?” Namjoon asked conversationally. “That discussion looked a little… intense.”

Yoongi smiled. It was a dark and dangerous expression, too sharp, too feral. “Margot and I are old friends.”

“Really? I haven’t seen you around before…” Namjoon trailed off, leaving the impression hanging in the air that Namjoon thought he was lying. “But Margot-ssi is so sweet. She has lots of friends. I’m sure it’s easy to forget a few.”

Yoongi bristled at that. He knew a barb when he heard one.

“I can’t say she’s ever mentioned you either.”

“Okay, I’m ready!” Margot appeared, slightly out of breath, with purse in hand. “Shall we go?”

“Margot,” Yoongi, took her wrist, only for Namjoon to put his hand over his and remove him.

“Let’s go, Margot-ah.” Namjoon smiled, putting emphasis on the endearment and setting Yoongi’s blood to boiling as he took her arm and led her out of the restaurant, leaving Yoongi behind.

“Namjoon-ssi,” She began as they left the restaurant but was cut off quickly.

“Don’t look back.” He ordered in a hushed tone. “He’s still looking.” She looked up at him wide eyed, and he shot her an easy smile. “Just smile like we’re having a nice conversation.”

She nodded, pasting a smile onto her face as they walked in case Yoongi was still watching them and trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in her stomach at the thought of everything that was happening.

“Shit.” Namjoon muttered under his breath, having them duck into a coffee shop.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, brows pinched together in concern.

“We’ve got a tail.”

“A tail?” Her brows shot up into her hairline. “Is he following us?”

He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not him, but you definitely have someone following you.”

“Shit.” She agreed, sinking into a seat a little floored by the news as Namjoon pulled out his phone to make a call.

She had to assume that the tail was from Yoongi. Who else would have someone follow her? But it was incredibly disconcerting. Why was he having someone follow her in the first place? What was he gaining from it? Whatever the reason was, she felt less secure than she already had.

There was a very thin balance between what she could handle and what she could not at that moment. Maria having cancer, she could handle it. Yoongi being some sort of criminal, she could not. Tae-il being in debt, she could handle it. Men following her was something that fell most definitely into the could not handle pile.

She didn’t know why Yoongi was so determined to talk to her, but it was slowly pulling at the threads of her sanity. There was only so much stress she could take before she started to snap, and the idea of someone following her was toeing the line of what she could reasonably handle.

“Hey,” Namjoon appeared with drinks in hand, finished with his phone call. “You okay? You look like you’re about to fall over.”

“Yeah…” she snapped out of her daze, gratefully accepting the drink. “I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed.”

Namjoon nodded, taking his seat. “Who was that guy back at the restaurant? Your conversation looked kinda intense.”

“He’s…” Margot stopped, not knowing what exactly to say about it. Who was Yoongi to her? He wasn’t a friend, not anymore, but what did that make him? “I don’t really know anymore.” she admitted, shrinking into her seat a little.

“Are you in trouble?” Namjoon leaned across the table, a serious expression on his face as he questioned her. “Are you in danger?”

“I don’t… I don’t know.” she shrunk even further, wrapping her arms around herself as she tried to process everything. “I haven’t… I don’t think I’ve ever been in this position before.”

“That man…”

“Yoongi.” she supplied almost automatically.

“Yoongi.” he nodded, noting down the information at the back of his head. “Is he bothering you? Has he come around before?”

Yes. He was most certainly bothering her.

She nodded. “We asked him to stay away after the incident a couple of days ago, but he showed up out of nowhere today.”

“What incident?” his frown deepened.

“Some guys came by the restaurant a couple of nights ago. They were flipping tables, making a mess. They were demanding payment on a debt Tae-il owes them apparently.”

She knew she should have felt some hesitation or shame sharing such private business with a customer, but she needed to tell someone, and Namjoon, if she remembered correctly, was a detective, making him the perfect person to tell.

Tae-il didn’t want to get the police involved, but what else could she do when someone was following her? It also helped that Namjoon was taking her so seriously.

“I’m guessing this isn’t a legal loan?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so, at least not from what he’s told me and what’s happened since.” She sipped her drink, looking around nervously. “Is the guy still there?”

Namjoon nodded solemnly. “I called a buddy of mine on duty to come check out the area, hopefully scare him off.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course.” The smile Namjoon sent her was genuine this time, not meant to play a part to the man watching them. “I’m happy to help my favorite noodle shop worker.”

“You know I’m a teacher right?”

Namjoon rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I know, but I only ever see you at the restaurant.”

“I would hope so. It would be concerning if you were still in elementary school.” She informed him dryly, her expression breaking into a small smile as she watched him blush. “Is there anything Tae-il and I can do?”

“There’s not a lot anyone can do unless Tae-il-ssi makes a police report. Unfortunately you don’t own the restaurant and can’t make one for him, but I am concerned that you’re being followed. Who exactly is this guy that Tae-il-ssi took a loan from?”

“Min Yoongi.”

Namjoon choked on his drink, sputtering as he tried to regain his composure. “I’m sorry, did you say Min Yoongi?” He coughed, looking at her incredulously.

“Yes?”

“When you said Yoongi I didn’t know you meant Min Yoongi!”

“You know him?”

“Know him? Everyone knows his name.”

She eyed him trying to figure out just how bad the situation was for him to be reacting like this. “That bad?”

“It’s not good.” He admitted, finally able to breathe again. “He’s a big name in Korea’s underworld.”

Her eyes widened at that. She knew he was involved in something illegal, but she hadn’t imagined that he was some sort of kingpin.

“What exactly have I gotten myself into?”

“Nothing good.” Margot didn’t like the grim set of his mouth as he spoke. It made everything seem that much worse. “You said you know him? How the hell do you know Min Yoongi?”

The question was spoken more in disbelief than it was anything else. Just like Margot couldn’t wrap her head around Yoongi being a criminal, Namjoon couldn’t wrap his head around the foreign woman from one of his favorite restaurants knowing Min Yoongi.

“We knew each other years ago when I was here to study abroad.”

“Damn.” Namjoon breathed out, leaning back in his seat. “And he still remembers you? Enough to have you followed?”

“You think that’s his doing?”

“Probably.” He admitted. “I just can’t figure out why he wants you followed. It doesn’t really make sense.” He leaned forward again, elbows resting on the table. “What did he want when he showed up today? It isn’t every day he shows up in person just for a debt.”

Margot hesitated. “He wanted to have dinner.” She started slowly. “He wanted to explain about the other night.”

“When his guys were at the restaurant?”

“No. I think it’s for the day after. He came by, and that’s when I found out he was behind the guys that messed up the restaurant.”

“He’s shown up twice in one week? To see you?” Namjoon’s brows were practically disappearing into his hairline by this point. “Damn. Were you guys dating or something?”

“No!” Her voice cracked a little as she almost shouted the word. Why did everyone think that she and Yoongi had been something more than friends? “We never dated.”

“Have you been in contact with him since you came back to Korea?”

“No. The first time I saw him was the other night. We didn’t exactly leave things on the best of terms back then.”

“Why does he want to see you now?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

Part four

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bilgievreni · 1 year

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Economilab - Gold

Insurance plays a crucial role in debt consolidation, helping individuals manage and alleviate their financial burdens. To understand the relationship between insurance and debt consolidation, it is essential to first grasp the definition and types of insurance. Insurance is a contract between an individual and an insurance company, where the individual pays premiums in exchange for financial protection against specific risks or losses. There are various types of insurance, including life insurance, health insurance, auto insurance, and property insurance, each serving different purposes and providing coverage for different aspects of life. When it comes to debt consolidation, insurance can offer assistance in several ways. One common method is to borrow against the cash value of a life insurance policy to consolidate debts. By utilizing the accumulated cash value, individuals can obtain a loan that can be used to pay off multiple debts, resulting in a single, more manageable payment. This approach can provide individuals with the opportunity to secure lower interest rates and potentially reduce the overall cost of their debt. Additionally, insurance policies such as credit life insurance can provide coverage in the event of disability, unemployment, or death, ensuring that debt obligations are met even during challenging circumstances. However, there are factors to consider when using insurance for debt consolidation. It is important to carefully evaluate the terms and conditions of the insurance policy, including any potential fees or restrictions. Additionally, individuals should assess their financial situation and determine if utilizing insurance for debt consolidation aligns with their long-term financial goals. Other factors to consider include the individual's credit score, interest rates, and approval requirements for the consolidation loan. By thoroughly considering these factors, individuals can make informed decisions about whether insurance-based debt consolidation is the right option for their specific circumstances.

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dollsonmain · 2 months

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I did not sleep at all last night. I even went and laid down in the guest room after That Guy got up where I usually pass right out but I didn't sleep in there, either.

I feel like All the Shit.

Long morning ramble.

Sleeping in a night cap is annoying but it's keeping my ends from being fried for longer. My hair's texture was already chef's kiss, now it's double chef's kiss.

That Guy said that he has to run the car tax payment to town on his way home from work today but DO NOT try to walk home if he's not there when I get off work because it's going to be nearly 100F and wait for him to pick me up.

He also said he'll have to start looking for another car, which should have been done a very, very long time ago because I could have been working as soon as Son expressed and demonstrated that I wasn't needed by him anymore. Don't take that the wrong way, I don't mean he said "I don't need you." he said things like he'd like to go to the bus stop by himself and has shown that he can be trusted on his own, etc.

I did intend to get my own car (or a truck), but if he buys one and doesn't expect me to pay for it (though he may expect me to pay for it) that lets me put more into savings for later.

I think That Guy is suddenly aware of how difficult he's made it for me to work all this time, which is interesting because I really did think he did it on purpose and then was blaming me.

He was saying that to drop me off and pick me up at the mail room job he'd only be able to work 4 hours a day. Granted he'd earn more in that four hours than I will in 12 hours even with this moderately big pay rate. And I was like yes, that's why I'd been limiting my job search to positions on your normal route (as he'd demanded), but this job pays much more per hour than any of the others I can do locally and I have experience which makes it more likely I'd get in, so it's worth the extra time and effort in my opinion.

$19.23/hr is THE highest income I've seen locally for almost ANY job, actually... There was one federal job that requires a TS clearance that pays like $65/hr, most are paying around $15 with some management positions offering $17 - $24. The gas station I'm at is actually one of the lowest at $10 though there are some places offering $8.50. Because they can.

He did say he'd thought it was a federal mail position and I'd get the Big Bennies and retirement but I'd just be an employee of Goodwill so not get the USPS packet. I'm not the only one that's been confused by how the job was listed.

The actually bennies:

50% Company-paid Health Insurance After 30 days of employment and begins the first day of the first month after employees’ first 30 days.

Company-paid Life Insurance

Company-paid Long-Term Disability (LTD) and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance

Dental Insurance – Guardian Dental

Vision Insurance – Davis Vision

Supplemental Insurances – Colonial Life and Legal Shield

401(k) – The company matches up to 4% of salary and is available for enrollment after six months of employment.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Resource Assistance Program (RAP)

Direct Deposit

Vacation Leave – Twelve days of vacation available after 3 months of employment.

Sick Leave – 6 days that can be used after 30 days of employment.

Personal Days – 3 days that can be used starting on your first day.

Holiday Pay – 8 paid holidays after 30 days of employment.

That's not as good as federal, but is pretty good.

It's like he's only just now understanding what telling me to get insurance, which meant getting a job because he won't let the insurance companies look at his finances to prove that I can afford insurance and won't sell a policy to someone with less than $1k in the bank and no income, MEANS.

It means me being even more physically exhausted, in more pain, chores not getting done, falling asleep at the dinner table while eating....

He really did not expect me to throw myself out into the world like i have, and does not seem to have understood just how much of an inconvenience me working would be for him.

Like, he was crunching the numbers because he doesn't want to be thrown into a higher tax bracket even if it means more money coming in overall, but I think I'd be filing separately anyway so I can get back as much as possible without it being on a check in his name.

I wonder if the mail room folks get any sort of tax preparation deals since we're working IN an IRS office... Wouldn't that be nice to be able to say "It's my turn" and go sit down with an IRS prepper and do your taxes in person to be sure they're very correct?

So, I think I mentioned already the hours are 6:30-3 which is kind of nice as I do like getting my day over with early and I'd still be getting up at 3:30 with That Guy anyway so it's not like I'd have to change my sleep schedule at all.

The lady on the phone also cleared up some confusion for me about why the job listing said Goodwill, then IRS, and talking about custodial jobs????

So, I'd be an employee of Goodwill, and Goodwill contracts out those employees to other places, specifically the local Goodwill contracts out to federal and military establishments (the IRS building is on a small National Guard base so I do have to go through a checkpoint and get the car searched which is annoying and I hope I don't have to do that EVERY day, like I hope I get an ID card I just scan and can get in or something...) and their contract has been running so long with this IRS branch that Goodwill's sign is on the building.

The custodial job mention was them pointing anyone that IS severely disabled toward that job instead of the mail room position because the custodial job is slow paced which makes it suitable for people with developmental delays who may need more time to complete a task. But the whole job listing was a mess.

I do need to ask when the next bid is, because I could get hired on, the contract be rebid, and Goodwill lose which would leave me with no work until another contract was picked up, or could also mean a pay cut if they have to undercut another contractor to get the lowest bid and it's good to know what to expect.

She also said that some of the small mail crew, which is about 5 people (to me that is a lot because I'm used to being alone in the mail room) bring in knitting or crochet projects because it's slow now and then. That's generally when I would pick up a broom or a bottle of cleanser but I wouldn't mind crocheting at work :P

Also need to ask about lunch because the work day is exactly 8 hours so unless lunch is paid, I'd not be getting paid for 8 hours of work every day.

Anyway I've been feeling the guilt about maybe jumping jobs so soon (my start date would likely be mid August if not a little later), but I also helped find a vendor for something the gas station needed and that helps two people [who aren't me make more money... hm....] so I guess I don't feel too bad.

Manager asked me if I bake because people have been asking for fresh baked goods and I said no, I hate cooking and you can't make me do it, BUT I know that one of Son's classmates' moms bakes and is selling things through the local 7-11 so I'll ask if they'd be interested and they are. They should get in contact with the gas station any day now.

My suggestion is that the baker take some samples to the gas station and go talk to Manager in person, but I'm not the one running the business.

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obstinaterixatrix · 11 months

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I read all of The Honest Life of a Game Studio and now I am obsessed do you have recs for anything like it.

I wish. I FUCKING WISH. but it’s really one of a kind. higefusa really just wrote mundane slice of life office drama with the level of detail that could only be provided by a gamer who has worked in the industry AND he threw in some life or death stakes as a treat. how often do we get an incredibly normal office worker stuck in time prison??? and it’s ONE ARC??? not often enough.

none of these are gonna be just like game-ya but in terms of romances with attention to detail for industry/niche fields… ok all of these are gonna be kind of weird so bear with me.

double section is a BL about an auditor for an insurance company and an insurance salesman, I wouldn’t necessarily give it a blanket rec but I liked how Passionate the main characters were about audits and workplace regulations. a lot of heated drama for the most normal office setting possible. in the author’s note the artist talks about interviewing health insurance salesmen.

ginmokusei is more of a conventional BL but it’s about a guy who inherited his grandpa’s tailor shop and an ex maître d who shows up and demands to help him before he goes bankrupt. there’s a little bit about branding and marketing and bank loans. what has Always Stayed With Me is when the love interest basically goes like ‘you’re using all these flashy ads and being really pushy with discounts. are you selling beef bowls.’ every time I pass a clothes shop that goes really flashy with the discount banners I think ‘are they selling beef bowls…’

panel x magic. okay I said it was going to be weird. so this yuri is about a recent graduate who applies for office jobs and ends up doing image editing for… I guess a brothel? it doesn’t go into critiques of the sex industry, but I thought it was interesting how it takes a really logistical perspective in terms of marketing, advertising, and image manipulation… one of the chapters has the main character going like ‘oh god I’m trying to edit this risqué photo by making the thighs thinner and giving the face a glow-up but I keep making the model look like a weird alien this looks like something from a photo booth’ and gets advice from her coworkers like ‘hey why don’t you look up makeup tutorials to get a sense of what to touch up.’ hasn’t been translated in a while but it kind of hits that… really in-depth look at the logistics of a job.

I think there’s more I’m not remembering at the moment, at one point I think sundry made a joke about rating office romances by how much office work is shown. there’s a couple ones that *kinda* fit but not really… wait. wait wait wait. WAIT. oh my god it has such a h•rny title. okay. so I’m being 100% sincere when I say that the main story for hammered and pounded is a BL with interesting office politics. it’s also incredibly h•rny, but game-ya gets pretty h•rny so whatever. but yeah there’s a whole subplot where the love interest, who works in sales, has actually always wanted to work in R&D, and it becomes A Whole Thing where the head of R&D is in conflict with the head of sales over whether or not a transfer is gonna happen and there’s no romance involved with the conflict it’s all office politics

and in a similar vein, to your right, you will see my boyfriend is about a guy who’s working as a tour guide in kyoto and at the artist talks about how she used to work as a tour guide. I think it’s fun, though I have my qualms. the main character does do studying about how to be an effective tour guide and goes from being like ‘ugh I’m saying all the facts but no one’s listening’ to ‘haha check out this extremely long name of the temple we’re about to see! make sure to remember it, it’ll be the password for getting off the bus ;D’

I have another category of vaguely similar vibes of genre bending mundane office work + fantastical situations

tokusatsu gagaga is a gen series that’s a BIG fave of mine, the main character is an OL who loves tokusatsu so she imagines a lot of scenarios with that sort of vibe. it’s not diagetic, but it’s really fun when it’s stuff like ‘I’M AT KARAOKE WITH MY COWORKERS BUT I CAN’T OUT MYSELF AS A TOKUSATSU OTAKU THIS IS JUST LIKE BEING ATTACKED BY A KARAOKE-THEMED MONSTER EMERJASON HELP ME!!!!’ the eng tl hasn’t been updated in a while but there’s a live action adaption that’s really good

magilumiere co. ltd. is a gen series that’s basically ‘what if magical girls were like… sanitation workers for monsters’ so it’s a lot of company logistics in a fantastical setting. I don’t think I got that far into it before getting distracted, but it was interesting (though perhaps overly generous/idealistic about start-ups as a concept).

#ask #anonymous #gylb #orlbs #there’s also stuff like #perfect propose I really enjoyed for how it really highlights how toxic workplaces manipulate/exploit workers #(consent is an issue for that series tho)#and 24 hour kiss actually has stuff like ‘the manufacturer fucked up our bags what are we going to do’#(consent is a REALLY BIG ISSUE for that series tho)#anyway I’m not sure I’d consider these recs so I won’t put them in my recs tag #my god I spent like an hour on this #Gohan no Otomo ni… kinda…?#recs

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theculturedmarxist · 11 months

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What would the world look like if the pandemic never ended, if Covid was causing widespread, long-term illness, and if all this was being covered up by the government?

You might expect to see record levels of sickness and disability. You might expect to see hard evidence that the ‘herd immunity’ plan failed, with children continuing to die at staggering rates. You might expect record numbers of absences in schools and workplaces, tons of canceled concerts and airline flights, more sudden/unexplained deaths in all age groups, and a rise in opportunistic infections (caused by damaged immune systems), like fungal infections or strep A. There would be a coordinated effort to hide data from the public to obscure the truth of the threat. Hospitalizations, cases, and transmission numbers would all be hidden or manipulated. The government probably wouldn’t try to hide the data all at once, because it would be easier to dismantle reporting over the course of several months or years.

Eventually, updates might cease altogether (despite rising cases). The CDC would likely have to hide death data as well. Powerful people with vested interests in keeping the economy running would probably engage in astroturfing online, spreading misinformation to convince the public the threat has passed (to get people back to work and boost corporate profits). The rich and powerful would continue to take precautions, while telling you everything’s fine. This would take a lot of effort, and there would have to be a pretty carefully-coordinated campaign to confuse (and wear down) the public. They might tell you repeatedly how much you shouldn’t be panicking. Hospitals might prioritize a sense of “normalcy” over infection control, so as not to be held (legally and financially) responsible for their role in the unfolding disaster.

The ruling class (who would have access to the truth of the situation) would use their knowledge of what’s coming to invest in long-term care facilities, nursing homes, disability services, and hospices. Some people would obviously figure out what’s going on (like scientists, for example) and start shouting about it from the rooftops. So you’d probably see extreme censorship measures happening on social media sites. As conditions worsen, government officials might start preparing the public to accept mass death, reassuring us that it will only happen to the ‘vulnerable.' Life insurance companies would take note and move accordingly, denying coverage to people suffering from Long Covid. Meanwhile, the scientific evidence would keep mounting.

We are still in a pandemic.

The pandemic is not over. Basically everything you have been led to believe about the virus is a lie. Covid is more dangerous, more transmissible, and more out of control than everyone in power is telling you. We are not back to normal. We are in freefall.

We were lied to at every step of the way. First we were told not to panic and to stay six feet apart. We were told not to panic, ordered by the surgeon general not to buy up face masks, which we were assured we wouldn’t need. Then, we were told to only wear masks if sick or caring for someone with symptoms. When we were all finally told to wear masks in April 2020, we were given bad information about which masks could keep us safe. Cloth and surgical masks do not protect against aerosols (respirators do). And we were told by the people in power these flimsy masks would keep us safe. This was a lie.

The lies that killed us

Documents show that the World Health Organization knew from the start that SARS-Cov-2 was airborne. They knew that “[a]irflow and ventilation were identified as important factors influencing efficient spread in hospitals,” but did not provide ventilation guidance to the public for years. Instead, this information was withheld from the public; they told the world that Covid spread through droplet transmission and repeatedly insisted Covid was not airborne. Because WHO withheld this crucial information, people around the world did not take necessary airborne precautions, like wearing respirators instead of baggy surgical masks.

Images from the World Health Organization’s publications acknowledging airborne transmission of SARS, juxtaposed with their guidance to the public in 2020. Compiled by Maarten De Cock (@mdc_martinus) on Twitter.

When the vaccines were first made available in late 2020, many leaders and prominent experts told people that the shots would prevent transmission entirely. This was never true; vaccines provide some protection, but don’t stop transmission (and only slightly reduce your risk of Long Covid). Americans were told by the president that they had a choice: “vaxxed or masked,” leading many vaccinated people to stop masking.

Throughout 2021, Americans were told repeatedly that Covid was only a threat to the unvaccinated. The CDC confidently asserted through December 2021 that “Cases of reinfection with COVID-19 have been reported, but remain rare.” While they were pushing this claim, the CDC was conveniently no longer reporting vaccination status alongside information on Covid deaths. (That information would remain hidden until April of 2022).

Once vaccinated people were getting sick with Covid in large numbers and the data could no longer be fully suppressed, the government told everyone that a vaccine plus a breakthrough infection would give you hybrid immunity. Experts declared that this form of ‘immunity’ would be the ticket to ending the pandemic. Then Omicron happened and cases skyrocketed.

The lies continued from there. We were told Omicron was somehow ‘milder,’ we were told that because nearly everyone got it, that we would finally reach population-level ‘immunity.’

But viruses do not automatically evolve to become milder. And Covid did not become milder; it became more insidious, more contagious, and more immune evasive. We now know it is neuroinvasive (even in cases with ‘mild’ acute symptoms), vascular, mass disabling, and far deadlier than what official totals have led us to believe. We know now that most transmission happens asymptomatically, and that reinfections are even more dangerous than initial infections. We know that at least one in ten infections leads to Long Covid, a debilitating neurological disease with no cure. We know this virus dysregulates immune systems, destroys T cells, and directly infects arteries in the heart. And as a result of all of this, we’re seeing unprecedented levels of sickness on a global scale.

We are living through an ongoing democide, being covered up in real time.

Hiding the bodies

The people in power have used every tool at their disposal to downplay, lie about, and cover up the truth of this pandemic. As the cases continued to rise (despite their assurances that things were under control), the US government took even greater steps to keep the public calm and unaware. They changed the way they calculated and shared information about community transmission, changing the scary-looking red map from a comforting green one overnight. The number of cases didn’t go down. But the green map gave people a false sense of belief that things were improving. The CDC called the new map system the Community Levels map. Most people mistakenly thought low Community Levels meant low community transmission, but this confusing system relied on hospitalizations, a lagging indicator.

After, and before. The mostly-green map on the left is dated March 10, 2022 and the map on the right is dated March 9, 2022.

In addition to changing the map, the CDC also made major changes to the ways that Covid cases, hospitalizations, and deaths were tracked. The changes always served to ensure that totals were undercounted. The CDC was manipulating the data, sweeping bodies under the rug. But these changes were made gradually and largely without the public’s awareness. In January 2022, they moved to end daily Covid death reporting by hospitals; by February, they had officially done so. By March 2022, some US states started shutting down daily Covid death reporting altogether.

What the public did eventually hear via the news was that the numbers were trending down. ‘Hospitalizations are down,’ the news told everyone—neglecting to inform all of us of the changes the CDC made to its reporting that artificially deflated these totals in multiple ways.

Hiding the data was not enough to get everyone to accept continued, repeated infections. The government wanted all of us to believe that catching Covid repeatedly was unavoidable and the acceptable cost of keeping everything running. If people were able to avoid becoming repeatedly infected, this lie wouldn’t hold. So they changed the guidance for schools, saying that there was no longer a need for masks, testing, or quarantines. They changed the isolation guidelines so that infectious people were sent back to work after just five days (down from ten)—at the request of the CEO of Delta Airlines. They ended the mask mandates in healthcare and transportation. Allowing people longer absences from work would set a precedent for workers demanding regular sick leave; it was crucial to not let ten-day absences become the norm or the expectation.

Testing moved to the private market, and fewer and fewer people retained the ability to test themselves regularly. And the people who are testing are largely relying on at-home rapid tests—whose results are not being reported anywhere.

On top of all of this, the CDC director called masks the ��scarlet letter” of the pandemic. Over and over, the messaging from leadership stated that masks were a burden, masks marked you as an outsider, masks were outdated. They created immense social pressure for people to stop masking. As long as people continued to wear masks in public spaces, the threat remained visible and on others’ minds. Pushing everyone to drop their masks was big business’s way of ensuring people believed the pandemic was over so that they would resume traveling, spending money, and stimulating the economy without reservations.

In August of this year, just three months after ending the global public health emergency, the World Health Organization went as far as to stop sharing Covid-19 Epidemiological Updates. When announcing this change, they stated that “reported cases do not accurately represent infection rates due to the reduction in testing and reporting globally.”

Now, wastewater data is the only accurate data we have left. This data shows the concentration of Covid in sewage wastewater samples from across the country (the virus is shed in our poop when we get sick). And this crucial data is also under threat. Biobot Analytics, the company that provided much of the US wastewater data, lost its contract with CDC NWSS this month. The new contract went to Verily, a company owned by Alphabet (Google’s parent company). The switch is leading to data gaps, as well as changes in sample processing and analysis that will make data from some sites no longer directly comparable with the sites covered by Biobot. Others have noted that, unlike Biobot, Verily offers “little in terms of comprehensible data in regional or national terms.”

Without accurate data on current cases, transmission rates, hospitalizations, and deaths, we have no way of knowing the full scope of the current crisis. Our house is on fire; alarms removed, the public sleeps.

Government mitigations

The government knows that the pandemic is not over. The US Department of Defense is investing in state-of-the-art wearables that can predict if wearers are getting sick. The devices use biometrics and predictive algorithms (trained on hospital-acquired data) to detect infectious diseases up to 48 hours before any symptoms appear. The wearables are part of the Rapid Assessment of Threat Exposure (RATE) project, which recently got $10 million worth of additional funds.

Everyone who meets with President Joe Biden is PCR tested beforehand.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre recently confirmed that strict COVID-19 testing protocols remain in place, saying, "Anybody who meets with the president does indeed get tested." White House interns still have to agree to wear masks when asked.

When Biden gave a maskless speech last year at Richard Montgomery High School during a period of high Covid transmission, gym windows were removed to rig a temporary high-end ventilation setup. Parents at the school were outraged, and teachers took to Twitter to share photos of the air handling units. NALTIC Industrials called the setup “unprecedented.” Meanwhile, the US government continued to insist on the safety of America’s schools, telling parents to send their kids maskless to poorly-ventilated classrooms.

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dross-the-fish · 1 year

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I saw your LO post and something stuck out to me. Most people focus on Hades as a love interest but you made the case that Persephone isn't wife material and I wondered if you could elaborate on that.

I presume you're talking about this post.

I stand by what I said.

This pink teenager isn't wife material, no adult over the age of 25 should look twice at her. This is because this character is functionally a child.

She's technically the physical equivalent of 19 but feels alarmingly younger than that because of her background and upbringing. Hades is supposedly in his 40's and has a full time job and his own assets. At my age and current life stage I'm actually a lot closer to where he's at than I am where she is and I cannot fathom what her appeal would be to anyone outside of her age group.

What is the allure? Is it the way adding her as a household driver would skyrocket someone's car insurance? Is it the way they'd pretty much be guaranteed to have to finish raising her? Instead of coming home after busting your ass at work and having another grown-up to talk to, you'd have to go through the emotional labor of having to play parent/teacher to this child who probably doesn't know how to write a resume and has never had to experience the mental, physical and financial burden of running a household. If you were to date someone like Persephone you'd have to be ok with never getting any kind of mental, emotional, or financial reciprocity because she's not equipped to function in an adult relationship as an equal partner.

That's a HUGE thing and when you get to be my age you will care about these things a lot more than you care about the frivolous "dating" elements that tend to be the focus of younger people's relationships.

Persephone would be incapable of relating to a character like Hades in any meaningful way and while it's cute, I guess, that she's "nice", nice isn't enough of a foundation to build a long term relationship. Due to her lack of age and experience she's not capable of giving advice or even actual comfort if someone had to come to her with typical adult concerns. At best she'd maybe be able to give empty sympathy and, I'll tell you right now, empty sympathy gets old fast.

A very long time ago I dated someone who was my age but at a totally different phase of life and it was a huge mistake. I'd try to talk to her about my job or an apartment I was considering renting and she'd just give me this glazed look like I was speaking another language. The only things I could talk to her about were media or college so when I needed to talk to another grown-up about the very real things I was going through (feelings of inadequacy at my job, concern over financial stability, finding affordable housing) I had NO ONE, because she had never had to worry about any of those things and couldn't comprehend how serious these concerns were. I think the last straw was when I wanted to go do something and she had to ask her parents for money and permission first.

We were both 22 and I had already had a job and my own car for 3 years and the idea of asking my parents for money or permission to do anything seemed ludicrous.

To be clear I don't blame her for that, everyone grows at a different rate and some people get to certain stages later than others, but it did really highlight that this wasn't a person I should continue to date and not someone I could ever feel like I was on equal footing with because she still lived and behaved like a teenager. We were the same age, but sometimes I felt like I was taking on a role that should have been filled by her parents and nothing kills a romantic mood like feeling like the only adult in the room is you.

So yeah, someone like Persephone shouldn't even be trying to start serious relationships, she should be learning how to navigate through life with her peers, people who are also still learning crucial life lessons. But that's not what's going to happen. There's something incredibly gross about the fact that the one who's going to have to teach her how to be a functional adult is the 40 year old man who's eventually going to marry her.

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financeattips · 9 days

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Millennials Money Tips for Personal Finance

It is very difficult for millennials to manage their own finances today as the world of competition requiring one to workout harder has changed in a matter of months. From student loan debt to increasing living costs, this generation has faced financial struggles that are all its own. Nevertheless, there are strategies out there that can work for the millennial in search of sustainable financial security or even just a better bottom line. Below are a few of the basic personal finance tips for millennials.

1. Set Clear Financial Goals

The first step in any financial plan is establishing specific and attainable goals. Whether it's to buy a home, pay off your student loans, or save for retirement — knowing what you're working towards will keep you more engaged and inspired. Divide your goals into short-term (one to two years), medium-term (three to five years) and long-(five or more). This approach helps you to prioritize and use your resources accordingly.

2. Create and Stick to a Budget

The Facet of Financial Management: Budgeting Track your income and expenses: The very first step is to track how much you are earning, after that what things consume your bills? Budgeting tools; you may use an app to categorize what you spend on and where they can be reduced. If possible, adhere to the 50/30/20 rule — apportion half of your funds towards needs and twenty percent for saving or repaying debt.

3. Build an Emergency Fund

It is only a rainy day fund to act as an emergency safety net in case life decides not to follow your plan. The hopefully three to six months of absolute must-have sequestered in a separate, liquid account. It can help you with the cost of surprising expenses–whether they be medical bills or it lets you maintain your financial schedule, rather than having a huge hole in it due to car repairs.

4. Manage Debt Wisely

For many millennials, student loan debt can be a large financial weight. Start your payoff journey with high-interest debt — credit card balances are a solid place to begin. Refinance or consolidate student loans at a lower interest rate. Establish and Maintain a HISTORY of consistent on-time payments to improve your credit score, reducing overall debt.

5. Invest for the Future

If you want to create wealth then investment is the most important thing for it. If your employer offers a matching 401(k) plan, that is what you should start with. Demand more investment options like IRAs, Stocks and Mutual Funds. Simply Diversify A toasted way to diversification! The point is that, your money should earning with compounding.

6. Enhance Financial Literacy

One can be really good at making informed decision which is backed by financial literacy. Use online sources, books and courses to learn more about personal finance. Understanding concepts such as interest rates, inflation and investment options can help you make more informed financial decisions.

7. Plan for Retirement

Architecting retirement: It is never too early to plan for retirement. Save a minimum of 15% of your income toward retirement. Make use of Roth IRAs and traditional IRA tax-advantaged accounts. You may want to talk with a financial advisor who can help you put together your own retirement plan based on what you hope for in retirement and how much risk you are willing to take.

8. Protect Your Assets

But while it may not be the sexiest asset class around, insurance is integral to any complete financial plan. Make sure of health, auto and and home insurance coverage. Good idea: If you have dependents, consider life insurance. Disability insurance provides you income in the event of an illness or injury.

9. Check Your Credit Score

Great credit can unlock lower-interest rates and financial possibilities. Review your credit report on a regular basis for inaccuracies and work towards building up the score. By paying your bills on time, keeping credit card balances low and only opening new accounts when you need them (and therefore improved scores so long as other key factors don't weigh in ).

10. Seek Professional Advice

If you are unsure of where to begin or need help, then speak with a financial advisor. They can give you advice and even consult with you to build a financial plan as well. Also look for a good pedigree — Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

With these personal finance tips, a millennial can move forward in the financial journey feeling more secure for their future. Earning money is only part of the process… its mastering discipline, consistency and continuous learning that leads to long-term financial success.

#millionaire #millionarelifestyle #investing #investment #personal finance #startup #business #entrepreneur #economy #mindset #luxury #luxurious

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shiorimakibawrites · 11 months

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Battlin' Jack Murdock Rant

Possible unpopular opinion here but something I think people need to cut Jack some slack on is the Matt doing his stitches thing.

Now I'm not saying that it is a good thing that Matt was sewing up his dad's face. But I am saying that Jack might not many other options.

But What about the hospital? Or Urgent Care? Or a clinic? I hear you ask.

Well, do you know what those things require? Money. You know what Jack didn't have a lot of? That's right. Money.

You know what else he probably didn't have? Health insurance.

So yes, he could have got to the ER, waited for hours since his injuries are not life-threatening, gotten professional medical attention, and a bill that he cannot pay. Yes, eventually the hospital will write it off. But in the meantime, it's sitting on his credit report, dragging it down even further.

Assuming the hospital doesn't turn him away for not being able to pay them. Which, since his injuries aren't life-threatening, they can do. Law only says they have to treat you if you are dying. Which is why people without insurance or money don't go the hospital or even the doctor until it gets that bad.

Yes, there might have low-cost clinics with a slide scale that maybe he could afford. But they might not have stuff for stitches because that's not where people go for that stuff. Or aren't open when his bouts get done so waiting until morning. Or even the adjusted payment is still out of his budget.

Yes, maybe he and Matt qualified for Medicaid. But maybe Jack couldn't figure out how navigate all of the red tape. Or maybe he tried and they were rejected. Maybe they were in that uncomfortable zone where you don't make enough to cover everything but you make too money to qualify for food stamps and other social welfare programs.

I've been in that zone. It's not fun. It usually means you end up putting things like paying your rent and getting enough food above going to the doctor for any reason.

The only legal short-term loans he might have been able to get to cover an extra expense like that are payday loan places. Assuming they considered boxing (and whatever else he might done to make ends met) regular employment. Which they probably didn't.

Even if they did, the interest rates on those loans are truly outrageous. And a lot of those companies (especially prior to 2008) could some things to make your situation worse. Like keep hitting re-sent on the check after they got an insufficient funds bounce from the bank so you get a bunch of overdraft fees. (Currently, they can only do this twice before they have to stop. But they have also been fighting this and similar regulations since they were put in place).

Just saying that sometimes you don't have good options. You only have bad ones. So you pick the least bad one or the one you can live with.

Just saying that Jack Murdock was doing his best in a bad situation. He was trying to be a good dad to Matt. Maybe cut him a little slack.

#daredevil #meta #rant post #battlin jack murdock #being poor #matt murdock

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exitrowiron · 1 year

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Investing 101

Part 3 of ?

In the first installment of this series I discussed stocks. Stocks are also referred to as Equities, because if you own a company's stock, you own Equity in the company. Stocks entitle you dividends and you can benefit from growth of the stock price. But stocks can be volatile. Fortunately there are other securities you can purchase which usually offer less risk.

Bonds, are essentially loans made to companies and government entities. Bonds can have a variety of maturities (i.e. length of time until the loan is repaid) and interest rates. Companies can issue bonds instead of getting a loan from a bank. Likewise, government entities (ex. cities, counties, school districts, states and the US Treasury) issue bonds. A school district might issue a bond to build a new high school; a state might issue bonds to build a new tollway. The US Treasury issues bonds to fund the operations of the government. For as long as you've been an adult, you've heard about the US Budget Deficit, right? But do you know what it is? The budget deficit is simply the yearly government spending which exceeds the government's revenue (taxes). The sum of all the annual budget deficits is called the National Debt. The US Treasury issues bonds throughout the year to borrow the money necessary to fund the budget deficit. The interest on government bonds is usually tax exempt - that makes them a favorite of people who want to lower their tax bill. Because government bonds are tax exempt, they pay lower interest than a comparable corporate bond.

In general, bonds have lower risk than equities and pay interest regularly. With the exception of US Treasuries, bonds can be less liquid - i.e. take longer to sell in the event you need your cash back immediately. Bonds are also usually considered lower risk than equities, so an investor might purchase them to lower the overall risk in his/her portfolio (more on that later).

Each bond pays a fixed interest rate for the life of the bond (ex. 4%), but the price of the bond can go up and down based on market demand. On the day of issuance, let's assume you bought a 10 year, corporate $100 bond paying 4% interest. You paid the corporation $100 and every year for 10 years you will receive 4% interest and at the end of 10 years the company will repay the $100. If you wanted to sell the bond the next day, you could probably sell it to someone else for $100. Because you can sell for it face value, the Yield is the same as the interest rate. Let's also assume that 1 year later the company's only factory burned in a fire and it wasn't insured. It is much less likely that the company will be able to repay the bond you bought. If you tried to sell the bond to someone else, you'd probably have to discount the bond - perhaps sell it for $80 instead the $100 you paid. Now the Yield has declined, even though the interest rate is still 4%. Conversely, assume the factory never burned and instead the stock market tanked. Now everyone is desperate for an investment paying 4% and is willing to pay $120 for you $100 bond (an exaggeration to be sure); in this case the Yield on your bond has increased above the 4% interest.

The safety of bonds is measured and reported by rating agencies and impacts the price/yield. The bonds of companies which are less likely to be able to repay are rated lower than those with strong earnings and cash flow. Lower rated bonds have more risk, but they have higher interest rates and yields. Junk Bonds are bonds issued by high risk companies. Investors can make a bunch of money from junk bonds, but they can lose their investment too. (The 2008-09 financial crisis was caused in part by rating agencies not accurately reporting the risk associated with bonds composed of home mortgages.)

Historically, a broad portfolio of equities will generate greater returns over the medium/long term than a bond (debt) portfolio. If you have a long investment horizon (ex. >5 years) you want to invest in stocks. Occasionally, however, the stock market will have correction or there will be a recession etc and the stock market will drop. If you need cash during one of those periods and have to sell your stocks, you're going to sell at the bottom of the market and lose money. For this reason, investments with a short time horizon tend to favor bonds; the price (yield) of bonds is generally less volatile and you can count on the cash flow of regular interest payments. That's why as investors age, they start to shift the balance of their portfolio from equities to bonds. If I'm 70 years old and the market tanks, I can't wait 5 years for the market to recover; so I'm going to keep more of my money in bonds. The return on my bond investments is low, but so is the risk.

Only 12 people or so are reading these things, so if you have questions please ask.

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chimax-crypto · 9 months

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Introducing Choice Group: Your Secret Weapon for Financial Awesomeness in India

Choicese (CHC-SES) Transforms Asset Management Landscape in India with a $10 Billion Fund

Choicese (CHC-SES), a renowned financial institution, has entered the Indian market with a resounding impact, revolutionizing the landscape of asset management and empowering individuals to achieve their financial goals. With an impressive $10 billion fund under its management, Choicese brings extensive experience and expertise to cater to the diverse needs of investors in India. Unveiling a Comprehensive Suite of Services Choicese offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to simplify personal finance and provide tailored solutions to meet individual needs. From seamless trading to insurance coverage and retirement planning, Choicese aims to empower individuals with a wide range of financial services.

Seamless Trading Solutions: Choicese's platform provides a seamless trading experience, allowing individuals to trade equities, commodities, and currencies with ease. With advanced tools and real-time market data, investors can stay informed and make informed decisions to optimize their investment portfolios.

Diversified Mutual Fund Portfolio: Choicese serves as a convenient hub for buying and selling various types of mutual funds, providing investors with a diverse range of investment options. Whether it's equity funds, debt funds, or hybrid funds, Choicese offers accessibility and convenience for individuals to diversify their investment portfolios based on their risk appetite and financial goals.

Tailored Insurance Products: Choicese recognizes the importance of safeguarding one's financial well-being in times of uncertainty. Therefore, it offers a diverse portfolio of insurance products to provide individuals with tailored coverage options. Whether it's life insurance, health insurance, or general insurance, Choicese ensures that individuals have the necessary protection to secure their financial future.

Hassle-Free Personal Loans: Choicese simplifies the process of obtaining personal loans, offering hassle-free solutions with minimal documentation. Whether it's for education, medical expenses, or any other personal need, Choicese provides individuals with flexible loan options and competitive interest rates to meet their financial requirements.

National Pension Scheme (NPS) Facilitation: As a facilitator of the National Pension Scheme (NPS), Choicese empowers individuals to plan for a secure and regular income post-retirement. With Choicese's expertise and guidance, individuals can make informed decisions regarding their pension contributions, ensuring a financially stable future.

Bond Investments for Optimal Returns: Choicese presents opportunities to invest in bonds, diversifying investment portfolios and optimizing returns. With a wide range of bond options, individuals can explore fixed income investments that align with their risk tolerance and financial objectives.

Public Provident Fund (PPF) for Long-Term Tax Savings: Choicese offers the popular Public Provident Fund (PPF), providing individuals with stable returns and long-term tax benefits. By investing in PPF, individuals can enjoy tax deductions while accumulating wealth over time. Why Choose Choicese (CHC-SES)?

Choicese stands out as a trusted financial partner due to its commitment to technological innovation, market insights, and a proven track record of success. Through the Choicese FinX Trading App, individuals gain access to a sophisticated and user-friendly interface, enabling seamless wealth management. Additionally, Choicese provides valuable market insights and expert analysis, empowering individuals to make informed investment decisions.

Choicese (CHC-SES) has made a remarkable entry into the Indian market, offering a comprehensive suite of services to empower individuals in their financial journey. With its seamless trading solutions, diversified mutual fund portfolio, tailored insurance products, hassle-free personal loans, NPS facilitation, bond investments, and PPF offerings, Choicese caters to the diverse financial needs of its clients. Backed by a $10 billion fund managed with expertise and excellence, Choicese is poised to transform the asset management landscape in India. Visit Choicese's website at [https://choiceses-india.com] to embark on a transformative financial journey towards prosperity and financial freedom.

Choicese (CHC-SES) Revolutionizes Indian Asset Management with a Groundbreaking $10 Billion Fund

In a move that signifies a major shift in the Indian financial landscape, Choicese (CHC-SES) has recently entered the market, wielding a formidable $10 billion fund. This entry not only diversifies the asset management options available to Indian investors but also introduces a new paradigm in personal financial management.

Key Offerings and Strategic Impact

Innovative Trading Platform: Choicese debuts with a cutting-edge trading platform, enhancing the trading experience in equities, commodities, and currencies. The integration of advanced analytical tools and real-time market updates positions investors to capitalize on market movements effectively.

Expansive Mutual Fund Selection: The company provides an extensive array of mutual funds, including equity, debt, and hybrid options. This broad selection caters to a variety of investment strategies and risk profiles, empowering investors with choices that align with their long-term financial aspirations.

Personalized Insurance Options: Emphasizing the need for comprehensive financial security, Choicese introduces a range of customized insurance products. This initiative ensures that clients have access to the right insurance coverage, from life and health to general insurance, catering to their unique circumstances.

Simplified Loan Processes: With a focus on accessibility, Choicese streamlines the process for obtaining personal loans. This approach minimizes paperwork and maximizes efficiency, addressing diverse needs like education, healthcare, and other personal investments.

Retirement Planning via NPS: Choicese actively facilitates participation in the National Pension Scheme (NPS), offering guidance and expertise to secure a stable retirement. Their advisory services help clients navigate pension contributions for a financially secure future.

Diverse Bond Investment Opportunities: The firm introduces a variety of bond investment options, broadening investment portfolios and enhancing return potentials. These investments are tailored to suit different risk tolerances and financial objectives.

Public Provident Fund (PPF) for Long-Term Savings: Choicese offers the PPF, an established avenue for secure, long-term savings with tax benefits. This is particularly appealing to investors seeking stable and consistent returns.

Why Choicese (CHC-SES) is a Game-Changer?

Choicese's approach is underpinned by a commitment to technological advancement and deep market insights. The Choicese App exemplifies this, offering an intuitive, user-friendly platform for effective wealth management. Coupled with expert market analysis, Choicese is well-positioned to guide investors towards informed and strategic financial decisions.

In conclusion, Choicese's launch in India is a significant milestone in asset management. Its comprehensive suite of services, backed by a substantial $10 billion fund, sets a new standard in the industry and promises to transform the way Indian investors approach their financial planning. For more details on Choicese's offerings and to begin your financial journey, visit [https://choiceses-india.com].

#finance #india #choices es

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