Coronavirus

[5fouls]

1 minute ago, Reacher said:

My brother bought my parents a heart monitor for Christmas. Problem was they don't use a smartphone so they cannot utilize most of the features. 

I've done video conferencing with my out of state clients for years. Better than a phone call, IMO but not the same as in person. My Dr is promoting telehealth but I have not yet used. I do think this virus will be enough of a jolt to cause people to reexamine how they do business. Obviously, restaurants will see changes. I do think a lot of business travel , conferences will be curtailed. I like the idea of people staying more local for their products and services. 

I've had a kidney stone the last 3-4 weeks and have participated in two telehealth sessions.  Honestly, I did not care for them. I just don't see how they can be effective in many of the things people need to see a doctor for.

[Seeking6]

Just now, tdhoosier said:

The one thing I keep coming back to is working from home. For many it's more convenient and desirable to work from home. If employees can prove to companies there isn't a fall off in productivity will this become the norm? Think of the far reaching effects. Leasing costs for office space are huge and will save money. Parents can be home when their child gets home for school. Healthier family lives. 

..and then you think of the secondary effects: less commuting means lower gas prices, less traffic, a cleaner environment, less car accidents...which could lead to lower insurance premiums, etc. 

Agree on all.

One thing that does concern me is when this thing is fully in our rear view mirror is unemployment for a variety of positions within companies. Know quite a few business owners (small and large) and one thing that seems consistent is this. They are realizing how many positions they don't need in order to run their companies. Companies are already looking to shave expenses....combine that with realizing they don't need "x" number of positions?? Unemployment numbers are here to stay. 

[Seeking6]

4 minutes ago, 5fouls said:

I've had a kidney stone the last 3-4 weeks and have participated in two telehealth sessions.  Honestly, I did not care for them. I just don't see how they can be effective in many of the things people need to see a doctor for.

It won't be for everyone or every health issue...but healthcare workers/owners,etc.....better have it ready to be up and running because plenty like it. 

[tdhoosier]

1 minute ago, Seeking6 said:

Agree on all.

One thing that does concern me is when this thing is fully in our rear view mirror is unemployment for a variety of positions within companies. Know quite a few business owners (small and large) and one thing that seems consistent is this. They are realizing how many positions they don't need in order to run their companies. Companies are already looking to shave expenses....combine that with realizing they don't need "x" number of positions?? Unemployment numbers are here to stay. 

Very true and they sadly already do that. One of my biggest customers saw positions in her department 'temporarily' eliminated during the 2008 recession. As a result she took on the the job duties of 3 people and works a ton. Guess what? 12 years later those positions were never completely refilled and her workload is the same. 

[Lostin76]

OK guys and gals, we are doing our part in NY. Now it's time for the rest of the country to get it together.
 

 

[IUFLA]

8 minutes ago, Lostin76 said:

OK guys and gals, we are doing our part in NY. Now it's time for the rest of the country to get it together.
 

 

Not sure how you mean this...

[Lostin76]

1 minute ago, IUFLA said:

Not sure how you mean this...

I mean that cases are decreasing in NYC area and we were the epicenter. We need to see the same results elsewhere in the US.

[tdhoosier]

10 minutes ago, mrflynn03 said:

@tdhoosier @Reacher

I'm willing to pay more. But most people are unrestrained professional consumers. If people realized they dont need to eat as much as they do or they dont need half the crap they buy then maybe we could get back to better quality american made goods and a better quality less destructive food supply. 

 

I'm a distributor and have the option to source products domestically and overseas. A myth that doesn't hold true anymore is that American made products are better quality. In certain cases they are, but in other cases it's simply not true. It all depends on the product. 

A quick example is hats. Sometimes my clients request American made hats, and very rarely they follow through because they are double the price for a crappy hat that looks like only your grandpa would wear: it's single stitched, snap back enclosure, 5 panels, etc. If you're only getting one hat for $12 instead of $24 then, yes, you could afford that and your purchasing decision would not be questioned (other than by you wife). But when a wholesaler is ordering 100,000 hats for $3 instead of $6, you're looking at an $300,000 price difference, that is significant decision when you're answering to a boss, who's answering to a boss, who's answering to a board of shareholders. 

AND this is not even getting into a secondary issue....with so few American hat manufacturers these days, can an order of 100k hats even get fulfilled? 

There's a reason those MAGA hats are ironically ugly. If I were to guess, Trump had intentions of putting his money where his mouth was, and sourced USA made merch. Knowing availability, I'm almost positive those crappy trucker hats were chosen because they are the only type of hat that could be produced in the USA on a large scale. But eventually, the domestic manufacturers couldn't keep up with demand and that's why you'll see that a majority of the MAGA hats were made in Asia. I tried sourcing USA Made trucker caps 3 years ago...you couldn't find them. Every single red hat was sold out. 

I guess my point is, price is only the half of it. Our infrastructure is not set-up to produce certain products. And to come full circle, we are getting a cold hard slap in the face as we are now depending on China to produce our PPE in a time of emergency because our infrastructure is not set up to handle this. 

[mrflynn03]

No income from the better half in 42 days.  No stimulus yet, and no unemployment.  Doing fine but I swear the way my life goes I will end up with nothing from all the money the government is throwing around. 

[IUFLA]

20 minutes ago, Lostin76 said:

I mean that cases are decreasing in NYC area and we were the epicenter. We need to see the same results elsewhere in the US.

I think we have been, for the most part. The timeline is going to be skewed simply because New York is the epicenter.

The New York model is not gonna work for all metro areas and states. I think the tightly cramped living conditions and the reliance on public transportation added to NYC's woes. 

We're doing pretty well down here in Texas, with the state opening up slowly. If the hot weather slows or stifles the virus, then all the better, cause that's already here...

I sincerely hope the numbers in NY continue their trend...

[Reacher]

41 minutes ago, tdhoosier said:

I guess my point is, price is only the half of it. Our infrastructure is not set-up to produce certain products. And to come full circle, we are getting a cold hard slap in the face as we are now depending on China to produce our PPE in a time of emergency because our infrastructure is not set up to handle this. 

Good points. I think you will see selective items manufactured here. It makes sense for some medicines and protective gear and defense items to be sourced here so we are not as dependent on others. I think the pendulum swung too far to outsourcing everything and we'll now see it start to swing back to more localized production. That is a swing that will take many years and there will be disruptions and possibly higher prices.

On the food front, this article covers some of the factors involved that have not yet been brought up here- https://www.bakingbusiness.com/articles/50610-barclays-panel-describes-food-distribution-shifts

[Lostin76]

2 minutes ago, Reacher said:

Good points. I think you will see selective items manufactured here. It makes sense for some medicines and protective gear and defense items to be sourced here so we are not as dependent on others. I think the pendulum swung too far to outsourcing everything and we'll now see it start to swing back to more localized production. That is a swing that will take many years and there will be disruptions and possibly higher prices.

On the food front, this article covers some of the factors involved that have not yet been brought up here- https://www.bakingbusiness.com/articles/50610-barclays-panel-describes-food-distribution-shifts

I would really like to see a return of manufacturing in the US on a large scale. I for one am willing to pay more for products made locally. Your pendulum comment really summarizes my feelings on the matter. We've went to far on outsourcing everything.

[Hoosierhoopster]

I just want to be able to go get a haircut.

😁

[IUFLA]

Just now, Hoosierhoopster said:

I just want to be able to go get a haircut.

😁

Go to Chicago and run for Mayor...

[tdhoosier]

2 minutes ago, Lostin76 said:

I would really like to see a return of manufacturing in the US on a large scale. I for one am willing to pay more for products made locally. Your pendulum comment really summarizes my feelings on the matter. We've went to far on outsourcing everything.

I also think it's a matter of diversifying as well because realistically, with out cost of labor, certain things just won't be able to be manufactured here. Move production from China to other countries. 

What if we went to war with China? Are we going to call a timeout while we wait for them to produce certain electronics we need for our fighter jets? haha. 

[Proud2BAHoosier]

6 minutes ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

I just want to be able to go get a haircut.

😁

psssttt… I hear ya, getting mine cut on Thursday

[Lostin76]

9 minutes ago, tdhoosier said:

I also think it's a matter of diversifying as well because realistically, with out cost of labor, certain things just won't be able to be manufactured here. Move production from China to other countries. 

What if we went to war with China? Are we going to call a timeout while we wait for them to produce certain electronics we need for our fighter jets? haha. 

Oh most definitely. And it's not like we can jut flip a switch and manufacture everything here all at once. But there are areas where we can manufacture more here to create more job opportunities.

One positive in this arena locally is the Brooklyn Navy Yard:

Quote

At an 80,000-square-foot combat gear factory in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard, there is only the quiet chatter of sewing needles and the distinct absence of sweat. A thick stack of fabric lies on a long machine waiting to be compressed and cut into shapes. “It can automate a lot,” says Gregg Thompson cofounder of combat wear company Crye Precision, “but the volume has to be there.” Machines are not so great at design iteration, he says. A man standing next to the machine slices sheets of fabric by hand. He’s faster, says Thompson, and he can execute multiple designs without needing to be reprogrammed.

A shift is happening in manufacturing, bringing humans and machines closer together and making production more responsive to changing needs. The change is coming from companies that need flexible processes that allow their products to evolve with the needs of their customers. They also want their facilities not in industrial suburbs, but in amenity rich neighborhoods, so they can attract star talent. This new urban industrial wave is emerging in cities like Boston, Brussels, and New York City. The latest shift toward a rebirth of manufacturing is happening at Brooklyn’s Navy Yard, a converted ship-building site where a new kind of industry–less toxic, better paid, and offering upward mobility–is taking shape.

Right now, the Navy Yard, a 300-acre campus strung along the East River, supplies New Yorkers with 9,500 jobs. In the next few years, it is poised to deliver another 11,000, a quarter of which will be manufacturing. Ideally, BNYDC wants to be able to support 30,000 workers there. The jobs will be a mix of higher paid office jobs, as well as film production and manufacturing role.

 

Fast Company - Brooklyn Navy Yard

[milehiiu]

3 hours ago, tdhoosier said:

When I try to remain optimistic it's these points that I try to remind myself. This is the ultimate stress test, at least is will show expose all the flaws in our systems/industries and hopefully we'll improve for the better. 

If anything about this situation. We as a country have GOT TO learn from it. And start doing better.   For instance, taking back most of our drug making from China.  And so much more.  Common sense.  We CANNOT put ourselves in a position of depending on any other country.... ever again.

[Reacher]

2 hours ago, IUFLA said:

Go to Chicago and run for Mayor...

Post of the day, IMO

[Reacher]

WTH?

"During a COVID-19 briefing, The Virginia Department of Health announced it will now count the number of positive virus tests instead of the number of people who test positive."

https://www.nbc12.com/2020/05/01/virginia-is-seeing-jump-covid-testing/

[mrflynn03]

5 minutes ago, Reacher said:

WTH?

"During a COVID-19 briefing, The Virginia Department of Health announced it will now count the number of positive virus tests instead of the number of people who test positive."

https://www.nbc12.com/2020/05/01/virginia-is-seeing-jump-covid-testing/

Wonder if they will include false positives too?

[Reacher]

1 hour ago, milehiiu said:

If anything about this situation. We as a country have GOT TO learn from it. And start doing better.   For instance, taking back most of our drug making from China.  And so much more.  Common sense.  We CANNOT put ourselves in a position of depending on any other country.... ever again.

The decoupling has already begun-

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/trump-admin-turbocharging-withdrawal-of-supply-chains-from-china/

[IUFLA]

Get to see my old friends The Blue Angels tomorrow in a salute to Frontline workers...

 

[5fouls]

42 minutes ago, Reacher said:

WTH?

"During a COVID-19 briefing, The Virginia Department of Health announced it will now count the number of positive virus tests instead of the number of people who test positive."

https://www.nbc12.com/2020/05/01/virginia-is-seeing-jump-covid-testing/

For those that may not have read the story, what this means is if BillyBob tests positive three times, he will get counted 3 times instead of only once.  In my opinion, they were doing it right to begin with.  This tells me that numbers are, in fact, getting inflated if other states are doing this as well.  

I wonder if Indiana is counting BillyBob three times?  Might explain why our numbers are so much higher than other states like Kentucky.

[5fouls]

Indiana reported a Covid death today for a person that died on 3/31.  How does that happen?  Is the system to report Covid-related information that broken?