thementalexercise
The Mental Exercise
This blog is dedicated to questions, problems, and thoughts from a mental or thought perspective.
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Future Earth, part 2 - disease
Right now it is too easy to imagine living in a world of epidemics and pandemics. Diseases are constantly evolving to new strains (e.g. influenza), crossing species (likely COVID-19) or becoming resistant to almost all forms of drugs (e.g. tuberculosis). You don your mask, gloves, eye guard protection and make you way to work, school, church or shopping.
On your way you observe many people similarly cautious as you are but many more are living life without the protections by choice, faith, or lack of economic means. It is hard to protect yourself from the pandemic but increasingly hard to avoid confrontations by those unprotected that accuse you of being a carrier of the disease, lack faith in their god, are hiding behind a mask to commit a crime, or are proudly displaying your economic class.
The news is a daily report of deaths and the spread of the disease and time has proven that the government is unable or unwilling to protect its people, so you must do what you can for you and your family. Vaccines are like surgical masks, hard to come by or not available at all. You must wait as you do not have a job deemed critical to jump to the head of the line, have no political influence, and you are not in a high risk category.
Your way of life has changed in many aspects but your online friends are a constant. Dating has changed from social meetings to longer term online dates. Physically meeting is now cautioned by no contact, social distancing and a mutually agreed-upon quarantine period for the two of you before any physical contact.
Adjusting to the new normal. I am hopeful it is not permanent.
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COVID-19 and the Threat of Outsourcing Jobs
Essential parts of the economy have succeeded in staying running that prevent a total collapse of the economy. In addition, may businesses have been able to allow work-at-home as a viable alternative to coming into the office. Such technologies as conferencing (Microsoft Teams, GoTo Meeting, Zoom), mobile phones and laptops or home offices make it possible to only visit the office occasionally.
These technologies are critical to demonstrating that working from home is not only possible but also easy to achieve with many businesses. Shortly, businesses will begin thinking how they can take advantage of any cost-savings from this in the future.
Office space may be reduced to handle a remote workforce occasionally coming into the office
Office equipment and supplies could become the responsibility of the employee working from home
Some remote jobs may be identified as being needed on a project-by-project basis instead of a full-time position
Future job positions could be remote only with lower salaries designed to take advantage of lower cost of living communities
The gig economy does not have to be limited to ride-share and food delivery. It can include any job not requiring a full-time presence to resolve issues face-to-face. These new gig positions can cut deeper into the middle class with positions such as engineers, project managers, data analysts, truck drivers, IT support, software developers, and data scientists. A larger segment of the labor market may find that their job is no longer full-time with benefits but has changed to a project-by-project bid with no benefits.
Compared to the alternative, a gig economy job may be preferred however. Why should a business pay scale in the city in which they reside if they can hire remote workers from a cheaper city, state, or country? Payroll will get more involved when handling income taxes from other states but it can be worth the effort if the cost savings from wages is large enough. This would naturally make businesses in higher cost of living cities to seek employees in lower cost of living areas with the right skill sets. Jobs for remote work in another city or state could hurt workers in the metropolitan area of the business, since the current salaried job could become insufficient to cover costs. The United States could become more like the European Union where workers commute from their home country to their work country, but in this example it is the businesses that are pushing the employees away.
The extreme case for outsourcing is if the remote work jobs move to another, less expensive country. This is probably cost effective for medium and large businesses but is subject to the worker visa programs available from the federal government. This source of outsourcing has been in existence over 30-years so I do not expect it to have much influence since there is a yearly shortage of approved visas. The work-at-home initiative though could convince some companies that more job types could be outsourced than currently done. This would require political influence and changes to government policy but it could still pose a risk for the individual employee.
In these times of COVID-19, having the ability to work-at-home is a blessing and I am glad that I am able to do so and delay or avoid having to file for unemployment. However, this COVID-19 induced recession demonstrates to me, if not my employer, that my job position could be in jeopardy.
Hopefully, I am safe until retirement but I am not counting on it.
Good Luck!
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Answers to Crossword: Character Traits of a President (Trump)
Original crossword can be found here -> link.
Across
1 A businessman may use this that has failed six businesses through U.S. Code Title 11 (10)
4 A type of goat that gets the blame (5)
7 "If I weren't happily married and, ya know, her father ... " (10)
11 No feeling of concern, sympathy nor social interest (6)
12 Only the third president to receive this damnation from the U.S. House (9)
15 A regular use of derogatory terms based upon racial color or origin (6)
17 Someone else must take this because, “I don’t take responsibility at all” (5)
18 Over 18,000 of these have been stated so they could be called a... (4)
19 A lack of a sense of ethics or social values (6)
Down
2 Wants to be the center of attention and receive constant admiration (10)
3 ___man, one who never disagrees with their boss (3)
5 A grifter, shill, scam artist, or swindler (6)
6 Who is loved above all else (7)
8 An uncooked hotdog or casual sex without a condom (6)
9 Someone with total authority in the government (6)
10 The hiring of relatives to positions of authority (8)
13 The opposite of “drain the swamp” when friends and donors gain positions of authority (8)
14 Avoiding military service, bullying others, and the use of intimidation can make you be accused of being this (6)
16 ____ leader. Also may be in this group if you have unquestioned trust in your leader, your group is the only true group, your leader says everyone is against us, everyone else is lying, or that thinking should be left to the leader (4)
17 An adult like this may use intimidation, verbal threats, and harassment while a child may often resort to physical abuse (5)
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Is it time for a new Amendment to the US Constitution?
The US Constitution and more specifically the first ten amendments (Bill of Rights) give specific rights and freedoms to persons or citizens within the US. These protections apply to the federal and state governments to prevent oppression and tyranny of those governments. Likewise, the separation of church and state within the US Constitution prevents a religion from usurping those powers for their own benefits. By way of these amendments, persons and citizens are protected, to some degree, from a pervasive government or any religious organization. This does not apply to commercial enterprises though.
Large commercial enterprises mostly did not exist at the time of the writing of the constitution. The Dutch East India Company was founded in 1602 but gone by 1799. These types of companies operated with the blessing of the government to extend the government’s influence worldwide and to make a tidy profit for the company’s shareholders. The monetization of citizens of the country were not previously possible.
Now in the 21st century comes large companies, capable of restricting, tracking, and monetizing the lives of individuals. This is achieved using many methods, all sanctioned or at least not limited by the government. Unfortunately this list is not all inclusive.
The use of arbitration agreements to prevent customers from joining a class action lawsuit for violations by the company of the contract or illegal activity by the company
The permitted collecting and tracking (called tracking afterwards) of individuals on the Internet by their Internet Service Providers (ISP), mobile phone providers, service providers where you have an account (e.g. dating sites, Google and social media sites like Facebook) or when a service is used (e.g. Google searches)
The tracking of individuals by way of allowing automatic opt-in permission for marketing and data sharing for companies due to weak government oversight.
The tracking of individuals in public by government or commercial closed circuit cameras (CCTV)
The tracking of individuals in public by government or commercial vehicle license plate readers
The tracking of individuals in public by facial recognition software to automate CCTV
The tracking of individuals in public or in stores when their Bluetooth or WiFi are turned on, on their mobile phones.
The tracking of individuals’ personal mobile phones with real cell tower data every time the phone checks available service
The tracking of individuals‘ personal mobile phones with fake cell towers, e.g. commercial Stingrays, by commercial or government entities that may be located on a building, in a vehicle like a car, van, or truck, or installed on aircraft flying overhead.
The tracking of individuals through their use of spending at brick-and-mortar and online businesses that also sell purchase and browsing history. Even with cash purchases this is easy to achieve with rewards cards for the store.
The tracking of individuals through their use of credit cards with the sale of purchase information by the credit card companies to third parties (think companies that are building more complete individual profiles)
The tracking of individuals through the sale of credit histories by a for-profit credit reporting company to other companies.
The tracking of individuals by the goods in their physical shopping cart using RFID tags built into the products or packaging. This is more effective when you log into the store provided WiFi.
The tracking of individuals by the clothing that they are wearing which can have embedded RFID tags that last well past the original purchase, do not require batteries, and can survive repeated washings.
Legal settlements with governments by commercial companies for clearly predatory or illegal activity that permits them to avoid criminal sentences or dissolution of the company. The fines are often a fraction of a year’s profit and rarely benefit society or the people wronged by the company.
By now the thought of me being paranoid has probably surfaced. I have been involved with technology my entire career and know much of what is capable with technology. These are all current examples of what is or has been done with technology. Also, you may think that you are not doing anything wrong and it is not worth a company’s time to collect data on you. With modern powerful computers with ginormous data storage, it is easier to collect your data with everyone else’s than it is to filter it out.
Many of these methods cannot be avoided by the average person and faith must be given that a company, who is usually anonymous, will act ethically with the data that they collect. Even so the sale of the information to another company does not guarantee its protection.
Separately but no less important, the government is prevented from collecting information without warrants or other legal methods, except in public areas permitted by court precedents. This does not prevent the government from buying all this information from companies collecting the data. When the government intentionally or negligently permits the wholesale commercial collection of data, they (the government) have in effect found a way to surveil their own citizens without openly violating the US Constitution.
What can be done about it?
There are several challenges here to consider.
The loss of legal protection due to arbitration agreements or government settlements
The automatic opt-in to collect, share and sell information
The lack of permission for your location data to be collected in public by facial recognition, Bluetooth/WiFi/Cell Signal/GPS tracking, and vehicle license plate readers
I propose a constitutional amendment that forbids the acquisition of citizen data by the government from any enterprise, commercial or otherwise, with the same restrictions to surveillance that exist with the Bill of Rights.
This will not prevent companies from collecting data but it would help to keep that data away from the government.
To address companies, I propose an amendment to prevent companies, and all subsidiaries, affiliates and data/profit sharing partners from obtaining data without the direct permission of the citizen.
What do you think? Is this a problem that you are concerned about?
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Character Traits of a President (Trump) as a Crossword
Answers to crossword can be found here -> link.
Across
1 A businessman may use this that has failed six businesses through U.S. Code Title 11 (10)
4 A type of goat that gets the blame (5)
7 "If I weren't happily married and, ya know, her father ... " (10)
11 No feeling of concern, sympathy nor social interest (6)
12 Only the third president to receive this damnation from the U.S. House (9)
15 A regular use of derogatory terms based upon racial color or origin (6)
17 Someone else must take this because, “I don’t take responsibility at all” (5)
18 Over 18,000 of these have been stated so they could be called a... (4)
19 A lack of a sense of ethics or social values (6)
Down
2 Wants to be the center of attention and receive constant admiration (10)
3 ___man, one who never disagrees with their boss (3)
5 A grifter, shill, scam artist, or swindler (6)
6 Who is loved above all else (7)
8 An uncooked hotdog or casual sex without a condom (6)
9 Someone with total authority in the government (6)
10 The hiring of relatives to positions of authority (8)
13 The opposite of “drain the swamp” when friends and donors gain positions of authority (8)
14 Avoiding military service, bullying others, and the use of intimidation can make you be accused of being this (6)
16 ____ leader. Also may be in this group if you have unquestioned trust in your leader, your group is the only true group, your leader says everyone is against us, everyone else is lying, or that thinking should be left to the leader (4)
17 An adult like this may use intimidation, verbal threats, and harassment while a child may often resort to physical abuse (5)
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Barack Obama and Greta Thunberg Fist Bump
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This looks like an experimental aircraft from FlightAware
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Palindrome Dates
February 2, 2020 was announced as a palindrome date in month, day and year format, i.e. 02/02/2020, and is also a palindrome in day, month, and year and database format year, month and day 2020-02-02 formats.
Different regions use different date formats identified on Wikipedia. There are three main formats worldwide; Day-Month-Year (DMY), Year-Month-Day (YMD) and Month-Day-Year (MDY). The palindrome of the year is created and then checked to see if the format is a date. The image below demonstrates the process where the year is reverse preceding the year. The palindrome is then converted to a date in that format and displayed if valid.
The following is a list of dates from the years 1000 to 9999 valid in each of the three formats. The next date are; for DMY is 12 February 2021, for YMD is 2 December 2021, for MDY is 2 December 2021.
DMY
10/01/1001
20/01/1002
30/01/1003
01/01/1010
11/01/1011
21/01/1012
31/01/1013
02/01/1020
12/01/1021
22/01/1022
03/01/1030
13/01/1031
23/01/1032
04/01/1040
14/01/1041
24/01/1042
05/01/1050
15/01/1051
25/01/1052
06/01/1060
16/01/1061
26/01/1062
07/01/1070
17/01/1071
27/01/1072
08/01/1080
18/01/1081
28/01/1082
09/01/1090
19/01/1091
29/01/1092
10/11/1101
20/11/1102
30/11/1103
01/11/1110
11/11/1111
21/11/1112
02/11/1120
12/11/1121
22/11/1122
03/11/1130
13/11/1131
23/11/1132
04/11/1140
14/11/1141
24/11/1142
05/11/1150
15/11/1151
25/11/1152
06/11/1160
16/11/1161
26/11/1162
07/11/1170
17/11/1171
27/11/1172
08/11/1180
18/11/1181
28/11/1182
09/11/1190
19/11/1191
29/11/1192
10/02/2001
20/02/2002
01/02/2010
11/02/2011
21/02/2012
02/02/2020
12/02/2021
22/02/2022
03/02/2030
13/02/2031
23/02/2032
04/02/2040
14/02/2041
24/02/2042
05/02/2050
15/02/2051
25/02/2052
06/02/2060
16/02/2061
26/02/2062
07/02/2070
17/02/2071
27/02/2072
08/02/2080
18/02/2081
28/02/2082
09/02/2090
19/02/2091
29/02/2092
10/12/2101
20/12/2102
30/12/2103
01/12/2110
11/12/2111
21/12/2112
31/12/2113
02/12/2120
12/12/2121
22/12/2122
03/12/2130
13/12/2131
23/12/2132
04/12/2140
14/12/2141
24/12/2142
05/12/2150
15/12/2151
25/12/2152
06/12/2160
16/12/2161
26/12/2162
07/12/2170
17/12/2171
27/12/2172
08/12/2180
18/12/2181
28/12/2182
09/12/2190
19/12/2191
29/12/2192
10/03/3001
20/03/3002
30/03/3003
01/03/3010
11/03/3011
21/03/3012
31/03/3013
02/03/3020
12/03/3021
22/03/3022
03/03/3030
13/03/3031
23/03/3032
04/03/3040
14/03/3041
24/03/3042
05/03/3050
15/03/3051
25/03/3052
06/03/3060
16/03/3061
26/03/3062
07/03/3070
17/03/3071
27/03/3072
08/03/3080
18/03/3081
28/03/3082
09/03/3090
19/03/3091
29/03/3092
10/04/4001
20/04/4002
30/04/4003
01/04/4010
11/04/4011
21/04/4012
02/04/4020
12/04/4021
22/04/4022
03/04/4030
13/04/4031
23/04/4032
04/04/4040
14/04/4041
24/04/4042
05/04/4050
15/04/4051
25/04/4052
06/04/4060
16/04/4061
26/04/4062
07/04/4070
17/04/4071
27/04/4072
08/04/4080
18/04/4081
28/04/4082
09/04/4090
19/04/4091
29/04/4092
10/05/5001
20/05/5002
30/05/5003
01/05/5010
11/05/5011
21/05/5012
31/05/5013
02/05/5020
12/05/5021
22/05/5022
03/05/5030
13/05/5031
23/05/5032
04/05/5040
14/05/5041
24/05/5042
05/05/5050
15/05/5051
25/05/5052
06/05/5060
16/05/5061
26/05/5062
07/05/5070
17/05/5071
27/05/5072
08/05/5080
18/05/5081
28/05/5082
09/05/5090
19/05/5091
29/05/5092
10/06/6001
20/06/6002
30/06/6003
01/06/6010
11/06/6011
21/06/6012
02/06/6020
12/06/6021
22/06/6022
03/06/6030
13/06/6031
23/06/6032
04/06/6040
14/06/6041
24/06/6042
05/06/6050
15/06/6051
25/06/6052
06/06/6060
16/06/6061
26/06/6062
07/06/6070
17/06/6071
27/06/6072
08/06/6080
18/06/6081
28/06/6082
09/06/6090
19/06/6091
29/06/6092
10/07/7001
20/07/7002
30/07/7003
01/07/7010
11/07/7011
21/07/7012
31/07/7013
02/07/7020
12/07/7021
22/07/7022
03/07/7030
13/07/7031
23/07/7032
04/07/7040
14/07/7041
24/07/7042
05/07/7050
15/07/7051
25/07/7052
06/07/7060
16/07/7061
26/07/7062
07/07/7070
17/07/7071
27/07/7072
08/07/7080
18/07/7081
28/07/7082
09/07/7090
19/07/7091
29/07/7092
10/08/8001
20/08/8002
30/08/8003
01/08/8010
11/08/8011
21/08/8012
31/08/8013
02/08/8020
12/08/8021
22/08/8022
03/08/8030
13/08/8031
23/08/8032
04/08/8040
14/08/8041
24/08/8042
05/08/8050
15/08/8051
25/08/8052
06/08/8060
16/08/8061
26/08/8062
07/08/8070
17/08/8071
27/08/8072
08/08/8080
18/08/8081
28/08/8082
09/08/8090
19/08/8091
29/08/8092
10/09/9001
20/09/9002
30/09/9003
01/09/9010
11/09/9011
21/09/9012
02/09/9020
12/09/9021
22/09/9022
03/09/9030
13/09/9031
23/09/9032
04/09/9040
14/09/9041
24/09/9042
05/09/9050
15/09/9051
25/09/9052
06/09/9060
16/09/9061
26/09/9062
07/09/9070
17/09/9071
27/09/9072
08/09/9080
18/09/9081
28/09/9082
09/09/9090
19/09/9091
29/09/9092
YMD
0101-10-10
0111-11-10
0121-12-10
0201-10-20
0211-11-20
0221-12-20
0301-10-30
0311-11-30
0321-12-30
1001-10-01
1011-11-01
1021-12-01
1101-10-11
1111-11-11
1121-12-11
1201-10-21
1211-11-21
1221-12-21
1301-10-31
1321-12-31
2001-10-02
2011-11-02
2021-12-02
2101-10-12
2111-11-12
2121-12-12
2201-10-22
2211-11-22
2221-12-22
3001-10-03
3011-11-03
3021-12-03
3101-10-13
3111-11-13
3121-12-13
3201-10-23
3211-11-23
3221-12-23
4001-10-04
4011-11-04
4021-12-04
4101-10-14
4111-11-14
4121-12-14
4201-10-24
4211-11-24
4221-12-24
5001-10-05
5011-11-05
5021-12-05
5101-10-15
5111-11-15
5121-12-15
5201-10-25
5211-11-25
5221-12-25
6001-10-06
6011-11-06
6021-12-06
6101-10-16
6111-11-16
6121-12-16
6201-10-26
6211-11-26
6221-12-26
7001-10-07
7011-11-07
7021-12-07
7101-10-17
7111-11-17
7121-12-17
7201-10-27
7211-11-27
7221-12-27
8001-10-08
8011-11-08
8021-12-08
8101-10-18
8111-11-18
8121-12-18
8201-10-28
8211-11-28
8221-12-28
9001-10-09
9011-11-09
9021-12-09
9101-10-19
9111-11-19
9121-12-19
9201-10-29
9211-11-29
9221-12-29
MDY
10/01/1001
01/01/1010
11/01/1011
02/01/1020
12/01/1021
03/01/1030
04/01/1040
05/01/1050
06/01/1060
07/01/1070
08/01/1080
09/01/1090
10/11/1101
01/11/1110
11/11/1111
02/11/1120
12/11/1121
03/11/1130
04/11/1140
05/11/1150
06/11/1160
07/11/1170
08/11/1180
09/11/1190
10/21/1201
01/21/1210
11/21/1211
02/21/1220
12/21/1221
03/21/1230
04/21/1240
05/21/1250
06/21/1260
07/21/1270
08/21/1280
09/21/1290
10/31/1301
01/31/1310
12/31/1321
03/31/1330
05/31/1350
07/31/1370
08/31/1380
10/02/2001
01/02/2010
11/02/2011
02/02/2020
12/02/2021
03/02/2030
04/02/2040
05/02/2050
06/02/2060
07/02/2070
08/02/2080
09/02/2090
10/12/2101
01/12/2110
11/12/2111
02/12/2120
12/12/2121
03/12/2130
04/12/2140
05/12/2150
06/12/2160
07/12/2170
08/12/2180
09/12/2190
10/22/2201
01/22/2210
11/22/2211
02/22/2220
12/22/2221
03/22/2230
04/22/2240
05/22/2250
06/22/2260
07/22/2270
08/22/2280
09/22/2290
10/03/3001
01/03/3010
11/03/3011
02/03/3020
12/03/3021
03/03/3030
04/03/3040
05/03/3050
06/03/3060
07/03/3070
08/03/3080
09/03/3090
10/13/3101
01/13/3110
11/13/3111
02/13/3120
12/13/3121
03/13/3130
04/13/3140
05/13/3150
06/13/3160
07/13/3170
08/13/3180
09/13/3190
10/23/3201
01/23/3210
11/23/3211
02/23/3220
12/23/3221
03/23/3230
04/23/3240
05/23/3250
06/23/3260
07/23/3270
08/23/3280
09/23/3290
10/04/4001
01/04/4010
11/04/4011
02/04/4020
12/04/4021
03/04/4030
04/04/4040
05/04/4050
06/04/4060
07/04/4070
08/04/4080
09/04/4090
10/14/4101
01/14/4110
11/14/4111
02/14/4120
12/14/4121
03/14/4130
04/14/4140
05/14/4150
06/14/4160
07/14/4170
08/14/4180
09/14/4190
10/24/4201
01/24/4210
11/24/4211
02/24/4220
12/24/4221
03/24/4230
04/24/4240
05/24/4250
06/24/4260
07/24/4270
08/24/4280
09/24/4290
10/05/5001
01/05/5010
11/05/5011
02/05/5020
12/05/5021
03/05/5030
04/05/5040
05/05/5050
06/05/5060
07/05/5070
08/05/5080
09/05/5090
10/15/5101
01/15/5110
11/15/5111
02/15/5120
12/15/5121
03/15/5130
04/15/5140
05/15/5150
06/15/5160
07/15/5170
08/15/5180
09/15/5190
10/25/5201
01/25/5210
11/25/5211
02/25/5220
12/25/5221
03/25/5230
04/25/5240
05/25/5250
06/25/5260
07/25/5270
08/25/5280
09/25/5290
10/06/6001
01/06/6010
11/06/6011
02/06/6020
12/06/6021
03/06/6030
04/06/6040
05/06/6050
06/06/6060
07/06/6070
08/06/6080
09/06/6090
10/16/6101
01/16/6110
11/16/6111
02/16/6120
12/16/6121
03/16/6130
04/16/6140
05/16/6150
06/16/6160
07/16/6170
08/16/6180
09/16/6190
10/26/6201
01/26/6210
11/26/6211
02/26/6220
12/26/6221
03/26/6230
04/26/6240
05/26/6250
06/26/6260
07/26/6270
08/26/6280
09/26/6290
10/07/7001
01/07/7010
11/07/7011
02/07/7020
12/07/7021
03/07/7030
04/07/7040
05/07/7050
06/07/7060
07/07/7070
08/07/7080
09/07/7090
10/17/7101
01/17/7110
11/17/7111
02/17/7120
12/17/7121
03/17/7130
04/17/7140
05/17/7150
06/17/7160
07/17/7170
08/17/7180
09/17/7190
10/27/7201
01/27/7210
11/27/7211
02/27/7220
12/27/7221
03/27/7230
04/27/7240
05/27/7250
06/27/7260
07/27/7270
08/27/7280
09/27/7290
10/08/8001
01/08/8010
11/08/8011
02/08/8020
12/08/8021
03/08/8030
04/08/8040
05/08/8050
06/08/8060
07/08/8070
08/08/8080
09/08/8090
10/18/8101
01/18/8110
11/18/8111
02/18/8120
12/18/8121
03/18/8130
04/18/8140
05/18/8150
06/18/8160
07/18/8170
08/18/8180
09/18/8190
10/28/8201
01/28/8210
11/28/8211
02/28/8220
12/28/8221
03/28/8230
04/28/8240
05/28/8250
06/28/8260
07/28/8270
08/28/8280
09/28/8290
10/09/9001
01/09/9010
11/09/9011
02/09/9020
12/09/9021
03/09/9030
04/09/9040
05/09/9050
06/09/9060
07/09/9070
08/09/9080
09/09/9090
10/19/9101
01/19/9110
11/19/9111
02/19/9120
12/19/9121
03/19/9130
04/19/9140
05/19/9150
06/19/9160
07/19/9170
08/19/9180
09/19/9190
10/29/9201
01/29/9210
11/29/9211
02/29/9220
12/29/9221
03/29/9230
04/29/9240
05/29/9250
06/29/9260
07/29/9270
08/29/9280
09/29/9290
The palindrome can also be done with the year first and then reversed as follows.
The following is a list of dates from the years 1000 to 9999 valid in each of the three formats with the reverse palindrom. The next date are; for DMY is 12 February 2021, for YMD is 2 December 2021, for MDY is 2 December 2021.
DMY
10/10/0101
20/10/0102
30/10/0103
11/10/0111
21/10/0112
31/10/0113
12/10/0121
22/10/0122
13/10/0131
23/10/0132
14/10/0141
24/10/0142
15/10/0151
25/10/0152
16/10/0161
26/10/0162
17/10/0171
27/10/0172
18/10/0181
28/10/0182
19/10/0191
29/10/0192
10/01/1001
20/01/1002
30/01/1003
11/01/1011
21/01/1012
31/01/1013
12/01/1021
22/01/1022
13/01/1031
23/01/1032
14/01/1041
24/01/1042
15/01/1051
25/01/1052
16/01/1061
26/01/1062
17/01/1071
27/01/1072
18/01/1081
28/01/1082
19/01/1091
29/01/1092
10/11/1101
20/11/1102
30/11/1103
11/11/1111
21/11/1112
12/11/1121
22/11/1122
13/11/1131
23/11/1132
14/11/1141
24/11/1142
15/11/1151
25/11/1152
16/11/1161
26/11/1162
17/11/1171
27/11/1172
18/11/1181
28/11/1182
19/11/1191
29/11/1192
10/02/2001
20/02/2002
11/02/2011
21/02/2012
12/02/2021
22/02/2022
13/02/2031
23/02/2032
14/02/2041
24/02/2042
15/02/2051
25/02/2052
16/02/2061
26/02/2062
17/02/2071
27/02/2072
18/02/2081
28/02/2082
19/02/2091
29/02/2092
10/12/2101
20/12/2102
30/12/2103
11/12/2111
21/12/2112
31/12/2113
12/12/2121
22/12/2122
13/12/2131
23/12/2132
14/12/2141
24/12/2142
15/12/2151
25/12/2152
16/12/2161
26/12/2162
17/12/2171
27/12/2172
18/12/2181
28/12/2182
19/12/2191
29/12/2192
10/03/3001
20/03/3002
30/03/3003
11/03/3011
21/03/3012
31/03/3013
12/03/3021
22/03/3022
13/03/3031
23/03/3032
14/03/3041
24/03/3042
15/03/3051
25/03/3052
16/03/3061
26/03/3062
17/03/3071
27/03/3072
18/03/3081
28/03/3082
19/03/3091
29/03/3092
10/04/4001
20/04/4002
30/04/4003
11/04/4011
21/04/4012
12/04/4021
22/04/4022
13/04/4031
23/04/4032
14/04/4041
24/04/4042
15/04/4051
25/04/4052
16/04/4061
26/04/4062
17/04/4071
27/04/4072
18/04/4081
28/04/4082
19/04/4091
29/04/4092
10/05/5001
20/05/5002
30/05/5003
11/05/5011
21/05/5012
31/05/5013
12/05/5021
22/05/5022
13/05/5031
23/05/5032
14/05/5041
24/05/5042
15/05/5051
25/05/5052
16/05/5061
26/05/5062
17/05/5071
27/05/5072
18/05/5081
28/05/5082
19/05/5091
29/05/5092
10/06/6001
20/06/6002
30/06/6003
11/06/6011
21/06/6012
12/06/6021
22/06/6022
13/06/6031
23/06/6032
14/06/6041
24/06/6042
15/06/6051
25/06/6052
16/06/6061
26/06/6062
17/06/6071
27/06/6072
18/06/6081
28/06/6082
19/06/6091
29/06/6092
10/07/7001
20/07/7002
30/07/7003
11/07/7011
21/07/7012
31/07/7013
12/07/7021
22/07/7022
13/07/7031
23/07/7032
14/07/7041
24/07/7042
15/07/7051
25/07/7052
16/07/7061
26/07/7062
17/07/7071
27/07/7072
18/07/7081
28/07/7082
19/07/7091
29/07/7092
10/08/8001
20/08/8002
30/08/8003
11/08/8011
21/08/8012
31/08/8013
12/08/8021
22/08/8022
13/08/8031
23/08/8032
14/08/8041
24/08/8042
15/08/8051
25/08/8052
16/08/8061
26/08/8062
17/08/8071
27/08/8072
18/08/8081
28/08/8082
19/08/8091
29/08/8092
10/09/9001
20/09/9002
30/09/9003
11/09/9011
21/09/9012
12/09/9021
22/09/9022
13/09/9031
23/09/9032
14/09/9041
24/09/9042
15/09/9051
25/09/9052
16/09/9061
26/09/9062
17/09/9071
27/09/9072
18/09/9081
28/09/9082
19/09/9091
29/09/9092
YMD
1001-10-01
1010-01-01
1011-11-01
1020-02-01
1021-12-01
1030-03-01
1040-04-01
1050-05-01
1060-06-01
1070-07-01
1080-08-01
1090-09-01
1101-10-11
1110-01-11
1111-11-11
1120-02-11
1121-12-11
1130-03-11
1140-04-11
1150-05-11
1160-06-11
1170-07-11
1180-08-11
1190-09-11
1201-10-21
1210-01-21
1211-11-21
1220-02-21
1221-12-21
1230-03-21
1240-04-21
1250-05-21
1260-06-21
1270-07-21
1280-08-21
1290-09-21
1301-10-31
1310-01-31
1321-12-31
1330-03-31
1350-05-31
1370-07-31
1380-08-31
2001-10-02
2010-01-02
2011-11-02
2020-02-02
2021-12-02
2030-03-02
2040-04-02
2050-05-02
2060-06-02
2070-07-02
2080-08-02
2090-09-02
2101-10-12
2110-01-12
2111-11-12
2120-02-12
2121-12-12
2130-03-12
2140-04-12
2150-05-12
2160-06-12
2170-07-12
2180-08-12
2190-09-12
2201-10-22
2210-01-22
2211-11-22
2220-02-22
2221-12-22
2230-03-22
2240-04-22
2250-05-22
2260-06-22
2270-07-22
2280-08-22
2290-09-22
3001-10-03
3010-01-03
3011-11-03
3020-02-03
3021-12-03
3030-03-03
3040-04-03
3050-05-03
3060-06-03
3070-07-03
3080-08-03
3090-09-03
3101-10-13
3110-01-13
3111-11-13
3120-02-13
3121-12-13
3130-03-13
3140-04-13
3150-05-13
3160-06-13
3170-07-13
3180-08-13
3190-09-13
3201-10-23
3210-01-23
3211-11-23
3220-02-23
3221-12-23
3230-03-23
3240-04-23
3250-05-23
3260-06-23
3270-07-23
3280-08-23
3290-09-23
4001-10-04
4010-01-04
4011-11-04
4020-02-04
4021-12-04
4030-03-04
4040-04-04
4050-05-04
4060-06-04
4070-07-04
4080-08-04
4090-09-04
4101-10-14
4110-01-14
4111-11-14
4120-02-14
4121-12-14
4130-03-14
4140-04-14
4150-05-14
4160-06-14
4170-07-14
4180-08-14
4190-09-14
4201-10-24
4210-01-24
4211-11-24
4220-02-24
4221-12-24
4230-03-24
4240-04-24
4250-05-24
4260-06-24
4270-07-24
4280-08-24
4290-09-24
5001-10-05
5010-01-05
5011-11-05
5020-02-05
5021-12-05
5030-03-05
5040-04-05
5050-05-05
5060-06-05
5070-07-05
5080-08-05
5090-09-05
5101-10-15
5110-01-15
5111-11-15
5120-02-15
5121-12-15
5130-03-15
5140-04-15
5150-05-15
5160-06-15
5170-07-15
5180-08-15
5190-09-15
5201-10-25
5210-01-25
5211-11-25
5220-02-25
5221-12-25
5230-03-25
5240-04-25
5250-05-25
5260-06-25
5270-07-25
5280-08-25
5290-09-25
6001-10-06
6010-01-06
6011-11-06
6020-02-06
6021-12-06
6030-03-06
6040-04-06
6050-05-06
6060-06-06
6070-07-06
6080-08-06
6090-09-06
6101-10-16
6110-01-16
6111-11-16
6120-02-16
6121-12-16
6130-03-16
6140-04-16
6150-05-16
6160-06-16
6170-07-16
6180-08-16
6190-09-16
6201-10-26
6210-01-26
6211-11-26
6220-02-26
6221-12-26
6230-03-26
6240-04-26
6250-05-26
6260-06-26
6270-07-26
6280-08-26
6290-09-26
7001-10-07
7010-01-07
7011-11-07
7020-02-07
7021-12-07
7030-03-07
7040-04-07
7050-05-07
7060-06-07
7070-07-07
7080-08-07
7090-09-07
7101-10-17
7110-01-17
7111-11-17
7120-02-17
7121-12-17
7130-03-17
7140-04-17
7150-05-17
7160-06-17
7170-07-17
7180-08-17
7190-09-17
7201-10-27
7210-01-27
7211-11-27
7220-02-27
7221-12-27
7230-03-27
7240-04-27
7250-05-27
7260-06-27
7270-07-27
7280-08-27
7290-09-27
8001-10-08
8010-01-08
8011-11-08
8020-02-08
8021-12-08
8030-03-08
8040-04-08
8050-05-08
8060-06-08
8070-07-08
8080-08-08
8090-09-08
8101-10-18
8110-01-18
8111-11-18
8120-02-18
8121-12-18
8130-03-18
8140-04-18
8150-05-18
8160-06-18
8170-07-18
8180-08-18
8190-09-18
8201-10-28
8210-01-28
8211-11-28
8220-02-28
8221-12-28
8230-03-28
8240-04-28
8250-05-28
8260-06-28
8270-07-28
8280-08-28
8290-09-28
9001-10-09
9010-01-09
9011-11-09
9020-02-09
9021-12-09
9030-03-09
9040-04-09
9050-05-09
9060-06-09
9070-07-09
9080-08-09
9090-09-09
9101-10-19
9110-01-19
9111-11-19
9120-02-19
9121-12-19
9130-03-19
9140-04-19
9150-05-19
9160-06-19
9170-07-19
9180-08-19
9190-09-19
9201-10-29
9210-01-29
9211-11-29
9220-02-29
9221-12-29
9230-03-29
9240-04-29
9250-05-29
9260-06-29
9270-07-29
9280-08-29
9290-09-29
MDY
10/10/0101
11/10/0111
12/10/0121
10/20/0201
11/20/0211
12/20/0221
10/30/0301
11/30/0311
12/30/0321
10/01/1001
11/01/1011
12/01/1021
10/11/1101
11/11/1111
12/11/1121
10/21/1201
11/21/1211
12/21/1221
10/31/1301
12/31/1321
10/02/2001
11/02/2011
12/02/2021
10/12/2101
11/12/2111
12/12/2121
10/22/2201
11/22/2211
12/22/2221
10/03/3001
11/03/3011
12/03/3021
10/13/3101
11/13/3111
12/13/3121
10/23/3201
11/23/3211
12/23/3221
10/04/4001
11/04/4011
12/04/4021
10/14/4101
11/14/4111
12/14/4121
10/24/4201
11/24/4211
12/24/4221
10/05/5001
11/05/5011
12/05/5021
10/15/5101
11/15/5111
12/15/5121
10/25/5201
11/25/5211
12/25/5221
10/06/6001
11/06/6011
12/06/6021
10/16/6101
11/16/6111
12/16/6121
10/26/6201
11/26/6211
12/26/6221
10/07/7001
11/07/7011
12/07/7021
10/17/7101
11/17/7111
12/17/7121
10/27/7201
11/27/7211
12/27/7221
10/08/8001
11/08/8011
12/08/8021
10/18/8101
11/18/8111
12/18/8121
10/28/8201
11/28/8211
12/28/8221
10/09/9001
11/09/9011
12/09/9021
10/19/9101
11/19/9111
12/19/9121
10/29/9201
11/29/9211
12/29/9221
The specific palindromic dates are not the same in the first tables (raeyyear) compared to the reversed tables (yearraey).
Normal DMY has 335 dates and the reversed has 258 dates.
Normal YMD has 92 dates and the reversed has 331 dates.
Normal MDY has 331 dates and the reversed has 92 dates.
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Future Earth, part 1 - oxygen
Imagine that you live in a world that is difficult every day. Not today, not tomorrow but in a span of years into the future. This is the world that you grew up in. It is a world of challenges from eating, working, breathing and just surviving. It is a world that you would not question if it were not for historic records on an aging Internet.
The world of the past as described on the Internet has temperate climates, outdoor activities, vacation paradises and less violence and conflict than now. It is not a world with which you are familiar. Everything about it in fact seems alien, subdued and fake. It looks at first glance as a fictional world specifically made to make your world seem as bad as possible. It is just that there is so much evidence in support of this historic paradise.
Now, take a moment to catch your breath. You have to make oxygen decisions and if you push too hard you may pass out. None of the old videos on the Internet have people breathing heavily nor using oxygen tanks and breather masks in daily life. In fact nobody appears in anyway distressed while breathing. It could be that the video posters are all wealthy and can afford filtered enriched oxygen within their homes. But that doesn’t explain the outdoor videos and lack of protective clothing.
Today oxygen is a luxury. While it does not seem like much, the effective level of oxygen at sea level is 20 percent but it used to be just under 21 percent. Now it feels like living at 1,714 feet (523 meters) with greater exertion to do physical work and increased risk of fainting or passing out. The great dying of trees around the world caused by deforestation in preference to farmland provided profits for a few while condemning everyone. Trees provide most of the oxygen from land based plant life and their dying results in decreasing oxygen levels. Places like Pikes Peak in Colorado USA and Mont Blanc on the France/Italy border that were once challenging climbs have become dangerous expeditions without the aid of oxygen tanks and sunscreens to protect from the dangerous rays of the sun reflected off the snow.
Besides the oxygen we breathe the protective layer of ozone (oxygen-3) around the planet has also been crippled. The illegal use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) restarted by Asian companies in the 2000′s, to be competitive with the world, has encouraged a downward spiral of environmental protections. Besides the increased risk of skin cancer for those people unable to avoid sunlight for hours at a time in traffic, plant life cycles have changed to reduce crop production and disrupted blooming, affecting insect and animal life. Marine life that lives in shallow waters are also increasingly endangered. Imagine living exposed to those rays with few places to take cover.
Save your strength, conserve your oxygen, and stay indoors as much as possible during the day.
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Why do Americans work more and get paid less? Introduction
1 September 2018
This will be a multi-part topic on what I believe drives the US economy to work people more hours and for less pay. I will try to cover topics that effect one or both of these aspects that hopefully will include the following.
The change of professional workers being eligible for overtime to not at all, in practical terms and how colleges contribute to the problem.
The reduction of unions and collective bargaining on the basis of so-called right to work in many states.
The reduction of vacation and sick time to a simpler paid-time-off that is often refused contrary to the stated benefits of the company and in the job descriptions.
The weakening of the employee laws on the books by reduced enforcement by federal and state authorities and the cost to individually sue for your rights.
The use of non-complete clauses on employees to prevent their departure for a better paying job based upon their skills and not proprietary knowledge of their employer.
The adoption of employers to use arbitration clauses to prevent class action status for legal enforcement of discrimination.
The challenge to a minimum wage and how it increases the number of employees without raising payroll.
The lack of acceptance of certifications from one state to another to keep wages lower while performing the same work.
I will for this discussion express that I am not a lawyer and this should not be taken as legal advice. Instead these are my observations of being in the workplace for over 30 years and seeing how things have changed for the average worker. During some of that time I have been a manager at various companies and those companies provided legal training through human resource departments on what an employer can basically get away with legally.
I will make a point clear now, the things that I will discuss in principal are not illegal. There are laws that define what is permitted and what is not. What I challenge is the intended purpose of these laws and the amount of enforcement by the state and federal governments to protect the workforce.
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A Long Absence
24 June 2019
It has been a long absence from posting. I basically hit a limit of being unable to work. My father had been in declining health when a close uncle of mine died tragically. I was able to go to my uncle’s funeral and visit my dad at the same time.
The next month my father died from cancer. I thought that I could cope since I have had a good relationship with him the last 20 years. What I thought that I was capable handling, I fought guilt for not being there (I live out of state) during his decline. I did visit several times in the last months but it did not seem enough. This was bad, but I thought I could manage as I was providing emotional support for the rest of the family including my step-mother and tried to be the strong one.
My work had become more difficult to cope with and my spouse caught the brunt of my moods and arguing. Then about three months after my dad’s passing a close aunt got sick and died in her sleep. I was not able to go to the memorial service as I was out of town for work and sent flowers instead.
The next month my boy cat of 15 years had to be put down. He was unable to eat food without getting an upset stomach. The prescription food from the vet was the last option and failed to work after six weeks. The loss was bad enough but the guilt of not being able to do more was hard.
My oldest cat of 20 years started to miss her young boy and one week after his passing she stopped eating. She refused any kind of food, even her favorites, but continued to drink water. I could not cope but had to take her to the vet to find out her body was shutting down. This was the worst by now. I had her since a kitten and felt guilty there was nothing I could do but be with her at the end.
My spouse and family were imploring me to get help but I thought that I could manage. One week after the passing of my girl kitty I exceeded my limit. Two days in a row I could only work half a day and couldn’t think anymore so took the rest of each day off. The next day I could not even focus on work. I knew there was something seriously wrong.
Heeding their advice I contacted my doctor and also the EAP plan through work to speak to a counselor. The next day my doctor put me on family medical leave (FMLA), against my wishes, and prescribed a mild anti-depressant. By the end of the week I had my first appointment with the counselor.
While it took a month for the medication to kick-in the counselor was able to focus on my unrelieved grief of all of the losses and my actions of overworking in an attempt to deal with all the issues. The two weeks of FMLA was invaluable as I was able to walk away from work and concentrate on me. I am also fortunate my spouse and family supported me by encouraging treatment and putting up with my moods.
My spouse made me get a new one year old girl cat which I thought was a horribly bad idea, but I knew it was right the moment we entered the animal shelter. She is very affectionate and tries hard to replace our two recent cats.
It has been five months of medication and counseling and I can see now how I got myself into the situation I was in. I have always thought that I could push my way through any obstacle but I now realize there is a limit to what you can handle yourself. I think that I am near done with the counseling as I have little going on that makes me feel stressed.
Sometimes at work I feel unproductive but I have to remind myself that my manager is happy with my work. I may not be getting everything done but that does not matter.
I also make an effort to spend time with my spouse as well as our new cat and older dog. I am tending our backyard garden and making time to go out with friends.
It does not feel like I am walking a tightrope anymore with a chasm below. It now feels like I am climbing rope, a dangerous fall is always possible but I make sure my rope, seat harness, ascenders and rack are safe and properly rigged.
I am enjoying the moment and look forward to the near future.
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A cup half full
An optimist says a cup is half full.
A pessimist says a cup is half empty.
An engineer says the cup has too much glass.
A physicist asks, ‘what do you mean? It is half full of liquid and half full of air.’
A mathematician asks what is the definition of full.
An accountant says the cup is at 0.5 to be later adjusted for depreciation.
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Sport Hunting and Machismo
I was going to hold off on this topic for a later time but a wildlife official from Idaho, United States forced me to discuss it now. Here is what happened.
A Fish and Game Commissioner went hunting in Africa. Besides killing a giraffe, leopard and other animals, he murdered a family of baboons because he claims his wife said she wanted ‘a feel’ of Africa. A BBC article has more detail on the killings.
First this is not about someone hunting for the need to survive. If you are this person then you can stop reading now.
Here are a few points that I will briefly make.
Hunting at range with a gun or bow is not sport (maybe with your friends but not for the animals).
Selecting the biggest animal to kill is not what occurs in nature. Predators target the weakest or slowest prey.
Hunting practices affect the species and can change their biology. Larger deer in areas are becoming harder to find.
Hunting is a thrill for the hunter. They get to party with friends, think they are somehow conserving nature, and coming home with a trophy to demonstrate their prowess of killing with military grade weapons.
Hunting laws do make an attempt to restrict the size of what can be hunted. This is not so much to protect the species as to provide an available number of animals to hunt and kill next season.
Laws place a limit on the minimum size or maximum number of animals to prevent exterminating the species by killing all the young.
Laws limit the seasons for hunting to also keep the herds stronger for the next seasonal culling.
Permits also provide a source of revenue to the government.
Let’s call sports hunting what it really is, government sanctioned slaughter for personal amusement.
If you don’t need deer meat on your table and your main reason to hunt is for a bigger animal to mount then stop lying to yourself and everyone else. You kill for the fun of it.
If you want a real challenge try free climbing El Capitan in Yosemite or swimming with the sharks offshore of South Africa.
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The Prison of Debt and Lower Earnings Potential (Part 2 of 2)
In Part 1 we discussed some good and bad uses of debt. In this last installment I will describe truly horrible results due to debt; homelessness, wage garnishment, and the job dependency.
Homelessness risk can be measured by how long will it take to become homeless if your earnings stop for some reason? We will take into account most states have an eviction process (let us say 45-days) and excluding any help from parents, siblings or friend.
Update: Alabama has only a 7-day eviction process if rent is unpaid but it is easy for a landlord to refuse your payment to get you out. The costs of eviction are small to the landlord and the state takes the responsibility to move you out and you risk being imprisoned for a felony. (There are more details you can research if you live in Alabama.)
If your time to homeless is only the eviction process then you need to start an emergency fund. An emergency fund is critical to handle the unexpected necessities without stressing your regular expenses. I am not talking about that new phone or pair of shoes. I am talking about paying for rent or mortgage, car payments, car repairs, gasoline, food and utilities.
When I was in college I started at 45-days (the eviction period) from being homeless because I had no emergency reserve and I did not want to depend on parents for emergencies. I did have a roommate but his finances were more stressed than mine.
So I started by setting aside 3% of each paycheck (I worked part-time in college) into a savings account not tied to my checking account. Within a year I had enough saved to handle a car repair or other small emergency. Over the years I have continued to contribute to an emergency reserve, especially since my needs have change. I now measure the time to being homeless years. It will not happen overnight but with some effort you can have a safety net.
Now you may be asking, how am I supposed to do that when my current expenses are higher than my take home pay or I do not have a job? You will have to make difficult decisions like;
Can I afford where I live? Do I need roommates?
Can I keep my car for 7 to 10 years performing maintenance?
Should I make going out a special occasion and eat at home instead?
Can I lower the heater setting or raise the air conditioner temperature?
Do not make decisions that can put you at greater risk like canceling home, car or health insurance, getting a payday loan (do not do this! borrow from anyone else first!), buying more lottery tickets, or shifting necessities to credit cards and hoping for something lucky to happen.
Wage garnishment is when a court mandates taking money from your paycheck by your employer before you receive it. This is often due to a failure to pay an outstanding debt like student loans, child support, or a legal judgement against you. If you are at this point then you may need help from a reputable credit service. Check with your state government or local bank for assistance finding someone to help.
Where wage garnishment can hurt you is with your employer. First if you have wage garnishment then you likely have a low credit rating. If this occurred while employed then it could jeopardize your position especially if you handle money for the company. Remember that most employers can run your credit rating during the hiring process but also while you are employed.
Second, your supervisor may very well know about your situation and they could take advantage of it. Due to the wage garnishment you may have difficulty finding another job and your supervisor could put more work on you at the same salary because they know you are in a bind.
Job dependency is when you cannot afford to lose your job. Most everyone needs a job to earn a living but this entails that you cannot afford to lose this job. There are many circumstances that can lead to it but the fear (or reality) is that you will not be able to find another job with similar pay or none at all. The following are some circumstances that could lead to this concern.
Your debt burden is too great. If you are in the situation of barely making payments or in crisis now, then the fear of losing your job can keep you from looking for another one. Besides, companies may check your credit score and see your situation.
You are nearing or past 50 years of age. I will probably write another piece about this but age discrimination occurs in the work all the time. Many states will not even investigate the claim and suggest that you sue the company in court.
You or your dependents have preexisting conditions. While this is not the case at the moment with the Affordable Care Act (aka ObamaCare) in force, if it is cancelled or diminished then many families will be at risk.
Your employer may imply advancement, raises or some other benefit but never in writing and only on the condition that you remain with the company. Unfulfilled promises can keep most anyone in a bad relationship. Just remember, that is what your employer is, a relationship. They provide pay in exchange for work that you perform. They are not performing charity and they usually do not have your best interests at heart.
Your employer may work you almost to death. It is very hard to look for another and probably better job if your manager does not give you the chance. No time off not only makes your manager look better but it keeps you from getting a better job.
Your family was previously a two income earner and due to circumstances (maybe one of the above) you are now a single income family with all the burden and risk on you keeping your job.
Debt can be an effective force to keep you in a job. It can also be a force for your supervisor to take advantage of you. While some of the things I discussed are not a debt burden now, something like medical bills without insurance can put you in that place.
From my experience, once you are an employee the company is no longer making great offers to keep you, they will do that with the next new hire. You will get a small raise and maybe a promotion for a bigger raise and more work. If you really want to see your income grow then consider changing jobs to another company in a similar area of work to preserve your experience. Also, negotiate for more than two weeks of vacation and a week of sick time.
I hope you are not in a place of high financial risk but if you are then it may be good time to seek help to correct the situation.
Good luck and best wishes.
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The Prison of Debt and Lower Earnings Potential (Part 1 of 2)
31 August 2018
Debt is a useful tool to help you get to where you need or want to be in the future. It can also cripple your earnings potential. I will explain in more detail.
The Good
Debt can help you to manage large purchases when it is not practical to do so. The costs are higher because you must pay interest but sometimes that cost is less than other factors.
A home purchase can be done with a long-term fixed mortgage where the mortgage does not go up every year like rent does and the interest paid on the mortgage has tax benefits to reduce your income taxes.
A car is a necessity in most urban cities to go to a job. Without a loan (and debt) to get a car your prospects for a job are limited to local businesses or only where the public transportation takes you.
Student loans when paying for a degree that has a known potential for job placement and earnings that can easily handle paying back the student loans while the rest of your life moves forward
The Bad
Buying too much house can consume your paycheck to the point that you cannot afford to make other bills, plan for emergencies, or enjoy life.
Trading in cars when something is still owed can mean that you owe more than the car is worth. When you trade-in your car your loan may be higher again for the balance owed on the first car.
Credit cards can be convenient and useful when used responsibly. With typically higher rates than mortgages and cars, spending more on credit cards than you can pay off monthly can place you in a future of spiraling debt that can lead to bankruptcy or worse.
Student loans for a degree that will never earn enough money to pay back the debt or overpriced degree programs that under deliver. I am looking at you for-profit schools that have poor hiring rates and low wages. I am also looking at you public and private schools that charge $80,000 for a general liberal arts degree.
The Ugly
The good and bad are generally discussed. Next time we will discuss the truly ugly parts of debt; homelessness, wage garnishment, and the job dependency.
Until then.
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