[phaster]

^^^

a highly deadly virus infection like ebola is a good thing in that the disease burns out faster than it is spread

thing is w/ covid 19 thus far it has targeted mostly older weaker people

looking at the literature you’ll see the spanish flu of 1918,…

[quote]
Mortality was high in people younger than 5 years old, 20-40 years old, and 65 years and older. The high mortality in healthy people, including those in the 20-40 year age group, was a unique feature of this pandemic.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-pandemic-h1n1.html
[/quote]

the danger of letting down our guard and going back to “life as normal” is the covid19 virus might mutate into something that has a high mortality rate in normally healthy people

a further complication is as I pointed out back in 1918 (Bacterial Pneumonia Caused Most Deaths)

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/bacterial-pneumonia-caused-most-deaths-1918-influenza-pandemic

as a kid my mom drilled into me viruses cause the common cold AND antibiotics should not be taken for any viral infection including a cold, a cough, or the flu because it has no beneficial effect (actually the danger is antibiotics causes bacteria to become drug resistant)

basically what medical experts are concerned about is,… predicting exactly how the covid19 virus acts is difficult/impossible to tell,… so the prudent thing to do even w/ some of the US and first world population starting to vaccinated is for people to keep socially distanced,… this is because there is a very real danger of a secondary bacteria pneumonia effect which might make what we have all experienced thus far pretty tame

truth is (for the most part),…

[quote=scaredyclassic]Humans in the usa are kind of like the failing banks, propped up by modern medicine[/quote]

[phaster]

[quote=spdrun]COVID has probably killed 600,000 people in the US.

Spanish Flu killed about 675,000. With population in 1918 being 1/3 of what it is today, this would be equivalent to 2 million.

This being said, say half of those people could have been saved using modern healthcare and antibiotics — maybe Spanish Flu would have only killed a million people with modern medicine.

Also, people were MORE crowded in 1918. Cities were actually more densely populated … Manhattan had a population 1.5x that of its present population, even though there were fewer housing units (many apartment buildings were built in the 20s and 30s!). We were coming off a war, so soldiers were coming home packed into troop ships. There wasn’t as much ability to “work from home.”

So despite lack of social distancing and lack of modern medicine, Spanish Flu only killed 3x the number of people as COVID did today. And COVID is far from done with us. If COVID had emerged in 1918, I suspect it would have been as bad (or worse) than the Spanish Flu.[/quote]

one BIG difference is in 1918 a person could go from healthy to dead in 12 hours (watch the first minute or so of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE)

https://www.pbs.org/video/influenza-chapter-1-9h0khn/

also something else to consider given the literature

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/bacterial-pneumonia-caused-most-deaths-1918-influenza-pandemic

my mom kinda started off in public health, and came to SD back in 1957 when there was another pandemic of sorts

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1957-1958-pandemic.html

anyway I’m not an MD but growing up was made aware of various aspects of public health and have a gut feeling that covid-19 in the grand scheme of things so far hasn’t been as bad as the 1918 spanish flu

to listen to what actual exerts have to say on the topic, there is an interesting discussion/podcast of “virologists”

https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/

long story short from what I gather, the faster the whole world gets the existing vaccines the better,… this is because there is an ever present danger of virus mutations becoming more contagious/virulent

consider that in china (about a year ago) there was a paper that said the odds of someone becoming infected in a house hold where someone had covid-19 was about 20%,… I point this out because consider what happens if the virus mutation changes the odds of someone becoming infected in a house hold where someone had covid-19 mutation was about 40%

truth is we’re not anywhere near the end of a long dark tunnel simply because most of the global population isn’t going to get a vaccine by summer,… and the danger many are not considering is antibiotic-resistant strains of staph bacteria may be spreading between pigs raised in factory farms

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210305113455.htm

[phaster]

[quote=Coronita][quote=paulflorez][quote=Coronita]See if I was black, I probably would have been hired according to what Eric said.[/quote]

Black engineers continue to have an abysmally low rate of representation in engineering. Sounds like Eric was feeding you bullshit. Eric would not have hired you if you were Black. Eric wanted to hire another Eric. That’s still how the industry is. People hire people who are like them and avoid hiring people who are different. Not only does it hurt under-represented minorities, but it also hurts the ability of businesses to innovate. Echo chambers are not the optimal places for innovation.[/quote]

…I think when I retire from this industry maybe in 1-2 years if they fire/lay me off with my half golden parachute, I’m contemplating publishing my memoirs on LinkedIn just to stir the pot:

“Memoirs of an Angry Asian American Engineer That Got Fucked Over Many Times By Unconscious and Conscious Bias”

Since at that point I won’t give a shit which bridges I burn.

I would have a lot to say on both the general problem of these biases and how any sort of affirmative action is just lipstick on a pig and not really doing shit to solve the problem, just pretending to fix the problem..At least in engineering though, these biases don’t bubble up nearly as frequently as in other industries , at least not until you get into senior leadership roles.[/quote]

if your engineering memoirs get made into a movie or tv-show,…just a “casting” suggest, consider a UCSD alum who happens to be “asian” play you

http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/richest-comedians/jimmy-o-yang-net-worth/

[phaster]

[quote=The-Shoveler]I would submit that IMO exactly zero politicians would do anything that could lower the tax base (such as low cost housing in mass).

They talk a good game but it will only go through if it does not lower rents or home values.

And if they ever do they would be recalled immediately.[/quote]

…Recall Jen Campbell???

https://www.piggington.com/node/27310

[quote]
San Diego leaders propose vacancy tax, community land trusts for housing crisis

Democrat-dominated City Council explores bold ideas after years focused on incentives, streamlined regulations

By DAVID GARRICK
FEB. 8, 2021 6 AM PT

SAN DIEGO — San Diego’s new Democrat-dominated City Council is proposing several bold ideas to tackle the city’s affordable housing crisis, including creating community land trusts, a rent registry, vacancy taxes and forcing landlords to rent to people with pets.

City officials have routinely listed the housing crisis as a top priority, but most of the legislation they have passed in recent years has focused on streamlining existing regulations and creating new incentives for housing developers.

The exceptions are two efforts spearheaded by former City Council President Georgette Gómez to preserve existing low-income units and strengthen the city’s “inclusionary” law so developers must build more low-income units.

Now the City Council, with an 8-1 Democratic majority and five new members, is proposing that San Diego begin exploring more aggressive ideas.

They say solving the housing crisis has become more important with the city’s greater focus on social equity. Minorities are the most impacted by scarce housing, they say.

Council members Vivian Moreno, Dr. Jennifer Campbell and Raul Campillo said they want the city to study a possible vacancy tax, which would tax the owners of undeveloped lots and landlords who have empty units.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2021-02-08/san-diego-leaders-propose-vacancy-tax-community-land-trusts-for-housing-crisis

Should San Diego establish some type of vacancy tax?

Some San Diego City Council members [i.e. JEN CAMPBELL] are considering a variety of progressive proposals aimed at cutting housing costs, including an additional tax on owners of empty lots or landlords with unoccupied units.

The idea is money from the tax could be used to fund construction for subsidized housing and encourage landowners to build new housing or sell to someone who will.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2021-02-19/should-san-diego-establish-some-type-of-vacancy-tax
[/quote]

[phaster]

[quote=XBoxBoy]
This thread brings up one of the things that I think people overlook. We whine about how expensive housing in San Diego is, and get lots of talk from politicians about how they are going to create affordable housing. But expensive housing is how we discourage people from moving here (or to stay if they are here). Expensive housing is how we keep San Diego from being even more congested than it is.[/quote]

since this site was more or less started looking at RE, just wondering if other piggs noticed the genius business deal political leadership of this city pulled off (to help address the homeless issue)

[quote]
San Diego pays top dollar and near-top dollar for hotels to house the homeless

…The city has borrowed almost half of the $106.5 million it paid for the two hotels

…Commercial real estate broker Adrian Glover has consulted on hotel transactions for decades, representing buyers and sellers. He said the city paid too much for the two Residence Inn properties.

“Hotels are worth probably 30 percent to 40 percent less than they were a year ago because of COVID-19,” he said. “This should have come out in the due-diligence period” of the escrow process.

“The city is short of money. Somebody should be watching the pennies,” Glover said. “This is a windfall for the seller, but it’s a major burden for the buyer.”

…The purchases also will eat into the city’s annual tax revenue as officials confront a $240 million budget deficit.

In addition to the loss of property taxes generated by the two Residence Inns when they were privately held, the city will no longer collect the transient occupancy tax assessed on every room rented.

Based on capitalization rates reflected in the CBRE appraisals — the measure of annual returns on investment — the city will lose about $866,000 a year in hotel taxes, plus $100,000 or more in annual income for the tourism marketing district.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/watchdog/story/2021-02-21/san-diego-pays-top-dollar-and-near-top-dollar-for-hotels-to-house-the-homeless
[/quote]

[phaster]

[quote=carlsbadworker]With ever puzzling financial market valuation, I thought I could still count on math, but I guess I was wrong:

https://nypost.com/2021/02/12/adding-wokeness-oregon-promotes-teacher-program-to-subtract-racism-in-mathematics/%5B/quote%5D

huh,…

[quote]
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) recently encouraged teachers to register for training that encourages “ethnomathematics” and argues, among other things, that White supremacy manifests itself in the focus on finding the right answer.

An ODE newsletter sent last week advertises a Feb. 21 “Pathway to Math Equity Micro-Course,” which is designed for middle school teachers to make use of a toolkit for “dismantling racism in mathematics.” The event website identifies the event as a partnership between California’s San Mateo County Office of Education, The Education Trust-West and others.

…Part of the toolkit includes a list of ways “white supremacy culture” allegedly “infiltrates math classrooms.” Those include “the focus is on getting the ‘right’ answer,” students being “required to ‘show their work,’” and other alleged manifestations.

“The concept of mathematics being purely objective is unequivocally false, and teaching it is even much less so,” the document for the “Equitable Math” toolkit reads. “Upholding the idea that there are always right and wrong answers perpetuate objectivity as well as fear of open conflict.”

https://nypost.com/2021/02/12/adding-wokeness-oregon-promotes-teacher-program-to-subtract-racism-in-mathematics/
[/quote]

having taken a few traditional math classes (i.e. NOT “ethnomathematics”),… I think this new CULTural math is actually kinda interesting/humorous

[quote]
Students Asked About Prostitutes And Drug Dealers On MATH Quiz

Eighth-grade students in southwest Florida were asked about prostitutes, pimps and sex abuse on a take-home math test.

They were word problems on an algebra test at Lexington Middle School – and parents are outraged.

The set-up for the questions is the life of the writer Maya Angelou. The questions highlighted parts of Angelou’s life that are not only inappropriate for young teenagers, but equally inappropriate in a math class. The questions were sent home with almost 100 honor students.

One of the questions said, “Trying to support her son as a single mother, she (Angelou) worked as a pimp, prostitute, and ______.“

Students Asked About Prostitutes And Drug Dealers On MATH Quiz

[/quote]

[phaster]

[quote=scaredyclassic]a BS in construction mgt[/quote]

first thing that came to mind,…

“To all you graduates, as you go out in the world, my advice to you is… Don’t go! It’s rough out there. Move back with your parents. Let them worry about it.”

Rodney Dangerfield

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLxtqMwRtDQ

second thing, years ago watched an interesting documentary about hubble who has designed and built some structures I really admire

https://www.pbs.org/video/james-hubbell-between-heaven-and-earth-rpgtfk/

https://www.hubbellandhubbell.com

apprenticeship programs???

the reason I mention this is because a few years ago the friends center sent out a request for help so went a few times to help dig a trench and another time to move/stack strawbales, etc.

https://www.hubbellandhubbell.com/portfolio-items/friends-center-strawbale/

[phaster]

listened to an NPR podcast about “modern monetary theory” (MMT) on planet money

https://www.npr.org/2021/01/20/958854717/modern-monetary-theory-classic

anyone trying to understand the economic future AND the role of bidens trillion dollar stimulus plan should listen to the story on MMT because it points out money only benefits the system as a whole if those at the controls understand there is a “speed limit”

basically if too much money floods the system which can’t be absorbed, there will be inflation!!!

one thing not mentioned in the planet money story by any of the left leaning economists who mentioned detractors point out the weimar republic, greece Venezuela or Zimbabwe (which are systems that all experienced hyperinflation), is the concept of triffin’s dilemma

https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1011/how-the-triffin-dilemma-affects-currencies.aspx

long story short about bidens trillion dollar stimulus is the USA can indeed create money out of thin air so to speak, simply because after WW II at bretton woods there was an agreement that all global contracts are denominated in dollars,…

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/brettonwoodsagreement.asp

the economic idea of triffin’s dilemma comes into play because it points out all global currencies eventually fall from grace,… at one time the roman denarius (ruled the world),… before the dollar became the global standard, the british pound was where it was at,… and some day the dollar will fall

point being if the dollar is displaced by the Chinese Yuan, then life in the USA will become much more difficult

the reason I point out this glum economic possibility is because there are news reports that don’t get much notice because the pandemic is dominating headlines

for those not looking at the numbers,…

[quote]
San Diego scrambling to close $154M deficit, sharply up from $86M estimate in November

…The spike is the result of a nearly $50 million increase in San Diego’s annual pension payment

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2021-01-21/san-diego-scrambling-to-close-projected-154m-deficit-sharply-up-from-86m-estimated-in-november
[/quote]

[quote]
San Diego Faces Budget Cliff Without More Federal Aid

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to choke the region’s economy, San Diego city officials are preparing to cut funding for parks, libraries, arts organizations, public safety and infrastructure if the federal government does not provide additional aid.

Mayor Todd Gloria said earlier this month he is expecting a deficit in excess of $150 million. He has since directed department leaders to come up with cuts of between 2% and 8% as he prepares to present a balanced budget proposal by an April 15 deadline.

…President Joe Biden has proposed $350 billion in aid to state and local governments as part of a $1.9 trillion relief package. That would dwarf the $150 billion allocated to states and cities in the CARES Act.

https://www.kpbs.org/news/2021/jan/22/san-diego-faces-budget-cliff-federal-aid/
[/quote]

[phaster]

[quote=scaredyclassic]

The capitol riots cheered me up. We are a nation founded on genocide and slavery, and in general we’ve always been an undemocratic, militaristic, war-mongering, nation of aggressive dudes ready to mess up other countries for our own personal gain. It’s who we are. It’s our brand.

Now, it seems, we are the same, except the anger is directed inward. This is interesting. The enemy is us. Instead of screwing with guatemala’s elections or some CIA coup outside our borders, we seem to be doing to ourselves what we have been doing to the world for a century. Destabilizing ourselves as an inside job.

Its therapeutic for the world for us to bring our aggressive idiocy home where we can deal with it without screwing up other nations.

Also, really, I was a bit jealous of the capitol rioters. So much community spirit amongst them, which I do not feel in my own life. So much purpose! and they seemed to be having such an awesome time. It looks like maybe one of the best days of their lives, and for most, with small penalties to pay, probably on the whole worth it. What am I? Some dumb liberal wuss who hates gun and is afraid of everything. I want to walk into the Nation’s capitol like I own it, maybe take a piss on Mitch Mcconnell’s desk. Man that would’ve felt good. But no, I can’t because I am a reaosnable antifa type person who is concerned about other humans points of views. What a dope.

I do not agree that everything is OK. Everything is just as it was. unstanble. Chaotic. Primed for possible improvement, or decline.

Overall–thrilling. I give jan 2021 5 stars.
[/quote]

seems the phrase “May you live in interesting times” is what we have to look forward to (even w/ the forthcoming change in management)

[quote]
President Trump is expected to depart Washington, D.C., next Wednesday morning, before Joe Biden is inaugurated as the new president, an administration official confirmed Friday.

Trump has said he will not be in attendance to see his successor sworn in, but aides had previously expected the president to leave the White House a day early for Florida.

Instead, Trump will leave the morning of the inauguration. He is expected to stop at Joint Base Andrews for a military ceremony, an official said. The plans were first reported by Reuters.

Leaving before Biden is sworn in will allow Trump to depart on Air Force One since he will still technically be the president. Had Trump waited until after the inauguration, he would have had to request permission from Biden to use the presidential plane.

The president has forgone the usual victory lap that many presidents have taken on their way out of office to boast of their accomplishments. Trump made brief remarks earlier this week at the southern border to highlight his agenda cracking down on immigration.

But he has otherwise mostly been out of sight since Jan. 6, when he delivered a speech to supporters near the White House urging them to fight the certification of electoral votes affirming Biden as the winner of the 2020 election.

Trump expected to leave White House morning of Biden’s inauguration

[/quote]

the reason we still face “interesting times” in 2021 and beyond is because so-called conservatives who were part of the the January 6th “stop the steal” MAGA gathering

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Garrison

lack the balls or brains to recognize they have drank the kool-aid

if you want a laugh consider TRUMP is leaving office just like NIXON (The Time Air Force One Took Off But Never Landed)

https://commonplacefacts.wordpress.com/2020/07/06/the-time-air-force-one-took-off-but-never-landed/

[phaster]

[quote=ucodegen]
Sounds like you do some of your own finish carpentry. I put myself through college doing rough and finish carpentry. I do kind of miss it, though I don’t intend to do it for income anymore. The world has changed. I can’t yet get back to it as a ‘hobby’ – too much junk in the garage right now, which is something that has got to change.[/quote]

given I own a number of older properties have out of necessity had to order custom shaper bits to create “old school” stucco molding, the modern stuff in stock at places like dixieline just does not work because its smaller overall,.. think of modern stuff like the ubiquitous 2×4 which is not a full dimension lumber because it finished (contrast that w/ an old school 2×4 is rough “full dimensional”)

also years ago happened to find myself in a high end cabinet shop

Home

this sorta planted the idea that I could design and build cabinets and some furniture for my home

[phaster]

Two MAGA protestors die and go to heaven.

They ask God if he’d answer one question.

“Of course,” God says.

They ask how the Democrats rigged the election in 2020.

“It wasn’t rigged,” God replied.

MAGA protestors look at one another and say,

“This conspiracy goes higher than we thought!”

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13660033/maga-fans-protest-washington-dc-trump-biden-win/

[phaster]

kinda faced a similar DYI dilemma what to do about all the closets in my own home which was built in the late 1920’s

the closets from what I’ve seen of the era were pretty basic, a top shelf and a wooden dowel (FWIW all my rentals were also built around the same time period)

in my rentals when the units were remodeled, installed “shelf track” on all the studs (in the closets) so it gives tenants the option of customizing the closet to their needs

https://www.homedepot.com/s/closet%2520made?

as for a master closet,… in my own home I’ve got some built-in library shelving cabinets in the bed room(s) and a built in linen cabinet in a hall way area so to keep everything looking the same knew this required some cabinet building

first thing I did was take a few field drips to ikea to get an idea of what I wanted (design element wise)

ikea stuff is made out of particle board which does not last but the showroom was a good place to get hands on ideas

for all the bedroom in my house opted for floor standing cabinet of two basic designs (one wide w/ drawers & adjustable shelves AND one narrow w/ out drawers & adjustable shelves – which can be used to store items like shoes)

the reason I designed two basic cabinet sizes is because this arrangement gives me the option to mix and match cabinets for all the bedroom closets in the house (once I install the basic cabinet elements in the closets I then just cut shelving and closet rod to size as needed)

all my cabinets are built out of birch plywood (which purchased from TH&H) and they also have all the accessories like fancy looking chrome closet rod, drawer slides, lights, etc

http://www.balticbirch.com

http://www.th-h.com

one other place to get all the details of your closet done right is stop by rockler in Kearney Mesa (which is close by TH&H)

http://www.rockler.com

in the end all the bedroom closets in my house look very period BUT have a very modern adjustable desin element and will last because everything is built out of birch plywood

built the cabinets using pocket screw joints, but found out things can be just a hair off,… to get things just alined “spot on” bought a festool domino tool AND use now use pocket screws to clamp things together using Titebond III

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/supplies/glues-and-adhesives/glues/wood-glues/titebond-iii-ultimate-wood-glue.html

last tip, the only place I’ve wallmount cabinets in in my laundry room, this is because I wanted to be able to sweep and mop the floor (even w/ French cleat, its not as secure or simple as something floor standing)

[phaster]

[quote=ltsddd]Investment wise, 2020 ended up being better than I expected. The numbers:

Overall: 18.5%
Day-trading: 35% (15% came from the premiums for selling calls options)
Best/Worst Holdings: TSLA/SLB

Everything being considered I am quite happy with the results. Especially how little I was stressed out considering what a volatile year it was.

Happy New Year everyone. Let’s hope for a better year in 2021.[/quote]

percentage wise I’m pretty sure I’ve done much better than most,… have not calculated the exact YOY percentages of my portfolio but thanks to a highly concentrated position in a computer company that just released a processor that is getting rave reviews AND is expected in a few years to tell QCOM its chips will no longer be required because they have developed their own in-house solution,… ALONG w/ seed money I threw at an EV company,… I’m hopeful my luck continues

looking at the bigger picture the simple truth is,… the vast majority of people in this country don’t have the luck or luxury of a stock portfolio that grew overall at 18.5+% AND/OR had rentals in desirable (i.e. less effected neighborhoods) in 2020,…

going forward my hope is people/political-leadership find peace w/ themselves as well as one another,… the reason I say this because the only reason I think some of us were able to financially profit in the middle of a pandemic shit storm is because the global economy runs on “dollars”

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/brettonwoodsagreement.asp

simple truth as I see it is, luck (i.e. being at the right place at the right time) should be considered because as I’ve seen first hand the results of mis-management can come fast and hard

[quote=Escoguy]

There may be negative consequences, but I don’t see us going full former USSR anytime soon (and I lived 15 year in 5 former soviet republics). So be vigilant, exchange investment ideas, don’t be afraid to put more skin in the game. And be damn grateful that things worked out as well as they did in-spite of everything.
[/quote]

https://www.piggington.com/after_pandemic#comment-292234

[phaster]

“money” whether 0’s and 1′ in a computer, some shiny metal or even some random item like sea shells only works when everyone believes the same thing

specifically WRT a smooth running economy, people have to agree upon three characteristics (for money)

1) store of value
2) medium of exchange
3) unit of account

given this framework AND said another way, if people trust they will be paid (i.e. “unit of account”) BUT later on come to believe they were not given what they think they were promised OR they think they are being asked to pay a bill which they don’t think they deserve,… there will be social disorder in the economy

specifically brought up the LA Times article about the homeless because seems this is yet another example where politicians (and the bureaucracy) essentially have been allowed to spend other people’s money unwisely,… $130,000 for an 8-foot-by-8-foot shed? WTF?!

was never a TRUMP fan and don’t want to open up a political debate, but seems its programs like this that cause conservatives (especially those who have not been fortunate enough to build up a rainy day fund) to question why should politicians (and the bureaucracy) essentially be allowed to spend other people’s on an 8-foot-by-8-foot shed that costs 130k

when I said at the end of the OP just have to wonder with all the debt in the system, how much longer this can continue,… consider here in SD WRT the local homeless issue

[quote]
In total for November, San Diego taxpayers spent $5.7 million to temporarily house about 900 people — just over $190,000 a day

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/watchdog/story/2020-12-13/convention-center-shelter-costs-exceed-40m-in-nine-months-city-records-show
[/quote]

now looking at the bigger picture of unreported news,… consider that politicians (and the bureaucracy) in this city once again (for the holiday season) with unanimous approval voted to give themselves a 13th pension payment,… despite the portfolio underperforming the target benchmark and being billions in debt (this FYI is the same portfolio mismanagement that caused the city of detroit to declare they were bankrupt)

at the end of the day seems there isn’t lots of value being created, given the amounts being billed to taxpayers for various programs being controlled by politicians (and the bureaucracy)

nuff said?!

[phaster]

wonder what TRUMP is going to tweet on Jan 20, 2021

[Author]

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