Coronavirus prep

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  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,281 Member
    Hmm, I didn't even consider the huge differences in minimum wage. Just out of curiosity, I googled my city/state. In Oregon, it's $12.50, but in Portland, where I live, it's $14.75 (it should be, it's outrageous to live in the city now).

    My $7 estimate is probably low. That was probably when we arrived back here, which in some ways feels like just a few years ago, but was actually 14 years ago. But $17 for a mediocre burger with nothing special about it, just some fries on the side is steep, even for here. It's a local brewpub chain with many, many locations, so while the menus vary a little, it's still predictable from one location to another. I guess I was shocked to pay $17.50 for four chicken strips and tots. For someone who doesn't eat out much, I guess it's going to have to be worth it.

    Oh, and last week when I met my sisters for an outdoor happy hour, it was 39F. I couldn't feel my feet by the time we left, but we talk a lot... :blush:
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,371 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »

    Nope. Many states pay more, but NM is still at $2.13/hr...I believe this legislative session there is a bill that will likely pass to raise it to $2.88/hr for tipped employees.

    It was $2.13 when I waited tables over 25 years ago...this coming change will be the first. The hourly rate plus tips must be equal to the hourly minimum wage of $11.50 per hour. I actually did pretty well for a college student when I waited tables, but I worked in finer dining setting and once I had some tenure made sure I had Friday night shifts, a double on Saturday, and Sunday brunch. One would barely scrape by working at Denny's or something.

    Good lord. I made $2.15 an hour (which might have been the "student" minimum wage at the time) when I was 16, non-tipping job. That was in 1979!!!
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,371 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I have to admit, this plus one of my (40-something y/o) nephews who refuses to wear a mask anywhere (when his wife and adult daughter will) makes me wonder (. . . Ann ducks and gets ready to run . . . ) is non-masking gender biased in some way? Here, I (F) and that woman at checkout were the overwhelming majority of women I saw in there, too.

    Masking is still mandatory here so everyone wears one. What I did notice early on is that, for a lot of women, it became just another fashion accessory, a way to express one's personal style. I also saw quite a few men out and about in heavy duty industrial respirator masks (like for painting or chemical fumes), it seemed to add a certain layer of status to wear work PPE.

    The one person I saw refusing to wear one was indeed male, however. He wasn't claiming a medical exemption, he said he didn't have to wear one because he was vaccinated (which I highly doubt, given his snarly attitude). Vaccination status does not exempt one from mask-wearing here.

    Other than that one fellow, I've never seen anyone without a mask so the genuine medical exemptions must be few and far between.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,285 Member
    Yes I've noticed 'fashion masks' here in Australia too.
    Mandatory for everyone over 12 to wear one in indoor public areas unless medical exemption so I don't notice non compliance by gender.

    I do notice more women getting into the fashion statements with sparkly masks, floral masks, Christmas themed etc.

    Although also a few men with 'male fashion' - football teams, big dogs.

    Huge generalisation, I know - and the vast majority of both genders just wearing plain paper disposables.
  • SModa61
    SModa61 Posts: 3,098 Member
    Adding to the male/female mask discussion, I cannot imagine wearing a mask with a beard. Especially with any beard more than the razor stubble look.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,257 Member
    33gail33 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Needed to run into (big box home improvement chain store) today for something. That place had the lowest fraction of masking I've seen anywhere in ages: Almost no customers (maybe none other than me?) wearing masks; most of the employees had one, but many not properly worn (scrunched down around collar, nose not covered, that sort of thing). Only one staffer (woman staffing the self checkout) looked like she had a well-fitted mask, properly worn.

    I have to admit, this plus one of my (40-something y/o) nephews who refuses to wear a mask anywhere (when his wife and adult daughter will) makes me wonder (. . . Ann ducks and gets ready to run . . . ) is non-masking gender biased in some way? Here, I (F) and that woman at checkout were the overwhelming majority of women I saw in there, too.

    Is masking required? Honestly I am ready to ditch the mask. As soon as the mandate ends here I won't be wearing one.

    No, masking is not required here. Businesses can request it, some do. I'm not sure whether it's legally required in health care settings (doctors & dentists offices, clinics, etc.) but it seems to be universally required by those entities judging from signage/practice.

    That wasn't the point of my post, though.

    Since masking is mostly voluntary here, the use of masks varies quite a bit IME in different stores and settings, even in businesses near each other in the same community. Just observing, not doing statistical analysis, it seems like there are demographic differences amongst the different settings that may be part of the likelihood of mask usage. I was asking if other folks felt gender made a difference in probability of mask usage, when people have individual choice.

    I get that some women don't like masks, will not wear one in every case where they are able to not wear one. Some of my friends are like that.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,257 Member
    Haven't seen any comments here about this, but it looks like it's widely publicized, and certainly relevant on this thread, and on the sub-topic of supply chains.

    The Ambassador Bridge, the busiest US/Canada border crossings, has been partially shut down for days by the same type of anti-vaccine protests that have been going on in Ottawa (Canada's capital) and elsewhere in Canada. This crossing normally accounts for around a quarter of trade between US/Canada. Automakers have cut production as a result, and those are not the only impacts.

    I'm sure this will have other effects on already-stressed supply chains, but I don't have any details.

    This is a local-ish reverse-chronological summary.

    https://www.michiganradio.org/news/2022-02-09/ambassador-bridge-remains-closed-trucker-protests-over-canadas-covid-19-restrictions-continue
  • 33gail33
    33gail33 Posts: 1,155 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Haven't seen any comments here about this, but it looks like it's widely publicized, and certainly relevant on this thread, and on the sub-topic of supply chains.

    The Ambassador Bridge, the busiest US/Canada border crossings, has been partially shut down for days by the same type of anti-vaccine protests that have been going on in Ottawa (Canada's capital) and elsewhere in Canada. This crossing normally accounts for around a quarter of trade between US/Canada. Automakers have cut production as a result, and those are not the only impacts.

    I'm sure this will have other effects on already-stressed supply chains, but I don't have any details.

    This is a local-ish reverse-chronological summary.

    https://www.michiganradio.org/news/2022-02-09/ambassador-bridge-remains-closed-trucker-protests-over-canadas-covid-19-restrictions-continue

    So annoying. I am waiting for a new truck (which I think might be coming from Mexico?). It was *supposed* to be here end of January but delivery is no where in sight. This will probably delay it even more.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Needed to run into (big box home improvement chain store) today for something. That place had the lowest fraction of masking I've seen anywhere in ages: Almost no customers (maybe none other than me?) wearing masks; most of the employees had one, but many not properly worn (scrunched down around collar, nose not covered, that sort of thing). Only one staffer (woman staffing the self checkout) looked like she had a well-fitted mask, properly worn.

    I have to admit, this plus one of my (40-something y/o) nephews who refuses to wear a mask anywhere (when his wife and adult daughter will) makes me wonder (. . . Ann ducks and gets ready to run . . . ) is non-masking gender biased in some way? Here, I (F) and that woman at checkout were the overwhelming majority of women I saw in there, too.

    I've observed gender-biased non-masking. Where I go men are less likely to wear masks when not required, and to flout requirements.

    When coverings were required and cloth was ok, I saw many more men than women wear bandanas. I guess a mask is more palatable if it is cool ;)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Here in Massachusetts, the Standard Minimum Wage is $14.25 and Tipped Minimum Wage is $6.15.

    Wage theft is rampant in the restaurant business. I've received as low as nothing for Tipped Minimum Wage - tips only. That job didn't last long. But while it lasted, it was one of the hardest jobs I ever had.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Looks like the supply chain issues are starting to hit our grocery stores. Still plenty of produce and whatnot, but I went last night to pick up a couple of steaks for tonight and my youngest wanted me to pick up some chicken and stars soup...soup shelves were pretty much bare as well as most canned goods.

    I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find steaks as a co-worker had said he couldn't find any chicken anywhere over the weekend...but there was plenty of beef and chicken. I haven't bought a real "steak dinner" type of steak in quite awhile...prices definitely up on that. We typically just do ground beef or when we have steak we do a skirt steak or flank as they are relatively cheap and feed all of us.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    Inflation is happening in every area and it is mostly because of what the Federal government did with handing out lots of cash. So now inflation is the highest it has been in 40 years... At levels that most of us have not seen in our lifetimes (assume everyone under 50 is too young to remember inflation 40 years ago, that is about 2/3 of the U.S. population).

    The cause is a quick increase in money supply and the solution will be to decrease money supply... This means interest rates are about to skyrocket.
  • MaggieGirl135
    MaggieGirl135 Posts: 1,030 Member
    and…11 7/8 % interest rate in 1985!!! 1/8 % less than typical—a discount by the county for first time home buyers. Ouch!!!
  • MaggieGirl135
    MaggieGirl135 Posts: 1,030 Member
    P.S. It was still was an excellent financial move for us—hard to believe!
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,093 Member
    missysippy930 wrote: »
    T1DCarnivoreRunner wrote: »
    Inflation is happening in every area and it is mostly because of what the Federal government did with handing out lots of cash. So now inflation is the highest it has been in 40 years... At levels that most of us have not seen in our lifetimes (assume everyone under 50 is too young to remember inflation 40 years ago, that is about 2/3 of the U.S. population).

    The cause is a quick increase in money supply and the solution will be to decrease money supply... This means interest rates are about to skyrocket.

    I remember. Interest rates were 10% when we bought our home in 1987. There are plenty of us that remember. It’s one of the reasons Reagan got elected. Don’t discount the seniors. There’s a lot of us, and the number is growing.

    Maybe in quantum physics an event can cause an earlier event, but in the macro world where political events occur, inflation rates in 1987 seem like a very dubious cause of events in 1984, 1980, and whatever earlier years Reagan was elected governor of California and president of the Screen Actors Guild.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    missysippy930 wrote: »
    T1DCarnivoreRunner wrote: »
    Inflation is happening in every area and it is mostly because of what the Federal government did with handing out lots of cash. So now inflation is the highest it has been in 40 years... At levels that most of us have not seen in our lifetimes (assume everyone under 50 is too young to remember inflation 40 years ago, that is about 2/3 of the U.S. population).

    The cause is a quick increase in money supply and the solution will be to decrease money supply... This means interest rates are about to skyrocket.

    I remember. Interest rates were 10% when we bought our home in 1987. There are plenty of us that remember. It’s one of the reasons Reagan got elected. Don’t discount the seniors. There’s a lot of us, and the number is growing.

    Maybe in quantum physics an event can cause an earlier event, but in the macro world where political events occur, inflation rates in 1987 seem like a very dubious cause of events in 1984, 1980, and whatever earlier years Reagan was elected governor of California and president of the Screen Actors Guild.

    I think the point made was that Reagan was elected so that he would raise interest rates. Ridiculously high inflation began under Ford. Carter didn't solve it, so Reagan was elected with the idea that he would solve the inflation problem. He tried to do that by raising interest rates, though he also reduced taxes to offset this. That increased money supply primarily to high income earners while using interest rates to bring that money back in from borrowers. The increased money supply to wealthy people had little impact because this economic group often just hoarded money, so most of it truly never got into the economy.
  • SModa61
    SModa61 Posts: 3,098 Member
    on interest rates, SIL's first house (roughly 1980) had a mortgage rate upwards of 16%. My husband remembers this because he celebrated when we did our first mortgage in 1983 and got a rate of "only" 11 or 12%.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited February 2022
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    missysippy930 wrote: »
    T1DCarnivoreRunner wrote: »
    Inflation is happening in every area and it is mostly because of what the Federal government did with handing out lots of cash. So now inflation is the highest it has been in 40 years... At levels that most of us have not seen in our lifetimes (assume everyone under 50 is too young to remember inflation 40 years ago, that is about 2/3 of the U.S. population).

    The cause is a quick increase in money supply and the solution will be to decrease money supply... This means interest rates are about to skyrocket.

    I remember. Interest rates were 10% when we bought our home in 1987. There are plenty of us that remember. It’s one of the reasons Reagan got elected. Don’t discount the seniors. There’s a lot of us, and the number is growing.

    Maybe in quantum physics an event can cause an earlier event, but in the macro world where political events occur, inflation rates in 1987 seem like a very dubious cause of events in 1984, 1980, and whatever earlier years Reagan was elected governor of California and president of the Screen Actors Guild.

    It seemed pretty clear that she was saying she recalls inflation being high, gave the high interest rate of the home she bought in '87 as one example of herself being old enough to recall the general period and some of the effects, and then said that "it" (inflation) was one of the reasons Reagan got elected -- which I think is generally believed to be true, inflation was high when he got elected in '80, although there were of course other reasons and high inflation obviously did not start with Carter (stagflation was an issue in the Ford administration, for example, and part of that was high inflation). Certainly there was a general view that the economy was bad when Reagan got elected (I recall this and I was a kid), and Reagan+Volcker (one could give more credit to Volcker) followed tight monetary policies to kick the inflation leading to a recession in the early '80s. I think the economy was perceived to be pretty good by '87, though (and thus the reelection of Reagan -- and, yes, I realize that happened in '84, which is before '87), although I also recall interest rates being much higher than what we have now had for quite a while for a longer period of time, Black Monday (1987) freaking people out and of course there was another recession in the early '90s.

    History of mortgage rates: https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/historical-mortgage-rates-30-year-fixed. Looks very consistent with SModa's memory.

    All that aside, and back to covid, I think it's impossible to tell to what extent inflation is based on underlying economic conditions when there is still as much supply chain disruption as there has been.

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