Post-Pandemic Economy

[gmase]

Be my financial planner then. Honestly, I'm scared of the stock market. What should I buy into? If it makes money I may invest. I'm not very business savvy so I need your help. I am a lucky man who has lived a charmed life.

Don't be afraid. As my 25yo daughter asked me recently: I keep hearing these are risky and uncertain times to invest. I told her: "It's always risky and uncertain. Just find reasonable mutual funds and ride the waves."

 

[tvstrip]

I have to decide on my guaranteed investment renewals soon. Interest rates are rock bottom, so I'm thinking of about a year. I think we can expect a huge spending spree once COVID restrictions are lifted, and with it, a rise in interest rates, and that would be a better time to lock in the investments for a little longer. Does that make sense?

 

[afterlights]

Don't be afraid. As my 25yo daughter asked me recently: I keep hearing these are risky and uncertain times to invest. I told her: "It's always risky and uncertain. Just find reasonable mutual funds and ride the waves."

I'm addicted to https://www.barchart.com/

I keep discovering interesting and helpful features. And this is a fun sector to follow https://www.barchart.com/stocks/sectors/cannabis-stocks?viewName=main

 

[gmase]

I have to decide on my guaranteed investment renewals soon. Interest rates are rock bottom, so I'm thinking of about a year. I think we can expect a huge spending spree once COVID restrictions are lifted, and with it, a rise in interest rates, and that would be a better time to lock in the investments for a little longer. Does that make sense?

Indeed. Rates have much more upside than downside. That said, when the rates go up will be anyone’s guess.

 

[Luxman]

Why There are Now So Many Shortages (It's Not COVID)

 

[Little Red Wagon Repairman]

I still have the same "just sit here and pick crud out of my belly button" strategy. You guys are way more sophisticated than I am. If I didn't inherit money I'd be crouched down in an alley ankle deep in piss waiting for someone to rob.

 

[Luxman]

Gwarosa: Working to Death in South Korea | Foreign Correspondent

 

[Luxman]

More Americans fell into poverty during the pandemic, and new data shows that low wage workers are struggling to bounce back
https://www.businessinsider.com/poverty-rates-rose-during-pandemic-hurting-low-wage-workers-2021-9

 

[tvstrip]

Gwarosa: Working to Death in South Korea | Foreign Correspondent

That's been happening in Japan since the 60s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karoshi

In an International Labour Organization article about karoshi,[6] the following four typical cases of karoshi were mentioned:

1. Mr. A worked at a major snack food processing company for as long as 110 hours a week (not a month) and died from a heart attack at the age of 34. His death was recognized as work-related by the Labour Standards Office.
2. Mr. B, a bus driver, whose death was also recognized as work-related, worked 3,000 hours a year. He did not have a day off in the 15 days before he had a stroke at the age of 37.
3. Mr. C worked in a large printing company in Tokyo for 4,320 hours a year including night work and died from a stroke at the age of 58. His widow received workers' compensation 14 years after her husband's death.
4. Ms. D, a 22-year-old nurse, died from a heart attack after 34 hours of continuous duty five times a month.

Remember, these are "typical" cases...

In 2008, karoshi again made headlines: a death back in 2006 of a key Toyota engineer who averaged over 80 hours overtime each month was ruled the result of overwork.

 

[Luxman]

The Great Resignation Is Accelerating
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/10/great-resignation-accelerating/620382/

 

[Luxman]

A worker in Florida applied to 60 entry-level jobs in September and got one interview
https://www.businessinsider.com/worker-applied-to-60-jobs-got-one-interview-labor-shortage-2021-10

 

[Luxman]

Kevin O'Leary: They're Never Coming Back | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

 

[tvstrip]

Kevin O'Leary: They're Never Coming Back | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

It's true though. If I never have to go back to the office and work 100% exclusively from home, I'm not just ok with that, I'd prefer that.
No commute, using your personal toilet, not having to pack a lunch and just being able to focus on work without having to zone out the office chatter/noise... and that's just the start.

It's funny, in the first couple of months, most people were like "I can't wait to get back into the office", and within a year, it's like "No, I'm good working from home".

 

[Luxman]

America's teacher shortage will outlast the pandemic
https://www.axios.com/teacher-labor...mic-d0953fec-115a-4d19-82a9-6fed552f29f9.html

 

[Luxman]

Packed ports and empty shelves: Inside the issues behind the U.S. supply chain crisis
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supply-chain-crisis-60-minutes-2021-11-14/

 

[Luxman]

WHY HEALTHCARE WORKERS ARE QUITTING IN DROVES
About one in five healthcare workers has left medicine since the pandemic started. This is their story—and the story of those left behind.
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/...xodus-of-americas-health-care-workers/620713/

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

At our local clinic(a subset of a big Medical group) they are down from 5 doctors and 9 nurses to 3 Doctors and two nurses. And the Doctors are ages 80, 71 and 60. They have been trying to hire for months with no luck. Many medical people are just done.

 

[Luxman]

How millions of jobless Americans can afford to ditch work
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/15/economy/labor-force-retirement-great-resignation/

 

[gmase]

Packed ports and empty shelves: Inside the issues behind the U.S. supply chain crisis
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supply-chain-crisis-60-minutes-2021-11-14/

Easy. It's all Biden's fault.

 

[tvstrip]

I'm starting to wondering when we're going to determine it's "post-pandemic". It seems like we're going to have variants for a while, and even IF we could get 100% vaccination rates (which we know won't happen), there seem to be enough breakout cases that we wont' see "pre-pandemic" activity for a long time to come.