COVID-19 Coronavirus Information and Discussion

[Garyhead]

This kinda goes to the "mental health" aspect of this pandemic. I have a lot of single friends and older friends (hovering around 80 yo) that I maintain contact with either by phone or text messaging. All was going well this summer. Lots of interactions and laughing. A few grumblings from the "old white guys" who watch too much TV and fall for Every Culture War tirade. Anyway, contact is contact.
The Wildfires hit on Labor Day....add to Social Distancing Restriction indoors due to poor air quality. Also my peeps down south started storm watch. Contact came to an abrupt halt. I felt it too as I coughed about the house for two weeks. Having a hard time contacting folks now trying to reestablish a connection.
Is anyone else experiencing this too? Could it be:
Fall approaching and the weather will deteriorate?
Election approaching and the stresses of media deluge?
The gradual realization that nothing will "change" until a vaccine is widely circulated?....like, 8 more months of this stuff.

Another thing I have noticed. Married folks and people who cohabitate have someone to talk to and that's helpful for the most part. But most forget about their single friends / family living alone. At least that's been my experience with my married friends. Just a simple text or funny GIF is all that's needed.

My mother will celebrate 85 years this Wednesday and her Retirement Community is still in lockdown. A card and some flowers will have to do. I cannot talk to her by phone as her hearing aids are not compatible with the telephone. (her perception) We email weekly but I haven't seen her since July 4th. Birthdays are important in our family as we all gather to celebrate with a meal and a lopsided cake. (an inadvertent tradition) Last time we gathered was my birthday in March.

Anyway, onward.....always trying to make the best of situations I have no control over. Give a thought today to a friend / family member living alone and reach out. You Both will benefit.

[Gravedigger]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Lovely sentiments expressed eloquently!
Both my parents passed away in 2015, but I do maintain contact with their friends,
as well as my friends' elderly parents. I will purposely reach out *today* thanks to your post.

[chalkpie]

Got my car fixed at a body shop and had my daughter's icecskates sharpened. ALL of the idiots working at both places had their masks either around their chins or just their mouths, exposing their honkers. I don't get it. Actually, I do.....

[ForeverAutumn]

Another thing I have noticed. Married folks and people who cohabitate have someone to talk to and that's helpful for the most part. But most forget about their single friends / family living alone. At least that's been my experience with my married friends. Just a simple text or funny GIF is all that's needed.

I am very aware of how lucky I am to have a wonderful husband to ride this out with. I have several single friends and I try to reach out to them regularly, just to make sure that they're doing okay both psychologically and physically. I have a friend group of five women, three that are on their own, that held regular Zoom meetings back in April and May. We haven't done that in a while however. Thanks for the reminder that I should set up a meeting.

At work, our management team is very aware of the extra stresses that isolation and working from home can cause people - not just single people, but those with kids that should be in school but have been home since mid-March. We frequently check in with staff members to make sure that they are doing okay.

With respect to your Mom, do you think you could speak to one of the staff members about helping your Mom get onto a Zoom meeting with your family so that you can all sing Happy Birthday and celebrate virtually? Back in March when everything was pretty much on lock-down, we celebrated my brother's 60th birthday that way. It's not the same as being together, of course, but he had a cake with a candle to blow out, we sang, and then he opened presents that his wife had ordered online while we all watched from the comfort of our own homes.

[ForeverAutumn]

Bigger concern for right now is...it's football season in America and in previous years we were very active...I would host a SNF viewing party, someone else would host TNF, and we would go out for the occasional MNF. I'm not looking to start that up again this year, but my roommate is. Similarly, someone else, wants to start up the TNF viewing parties again, combined with taco night. Sadly, I'm afraid my roommate will attend the latter, and part of me feels that would be nearly as bad as me attending (which I'm not planning on doing).

I've never considered the issues around having a roommate during this time. I guess it would be very difficult if your roommate chose to go someplace that was considered risky and then come home.

I definitely think that as the weather gets colder, the numbers will go up. We're experiencing a surge in numbers here in Ontario and the timing is definitely aligned with colder weather and kids returning to school.

[spellbound]

Cashless society just round the corner....

I do not want that. Being told by banks to go without cash and buy everything on credit, for their convenience, doesn't work for me. Owing your soul to the company store is no way to live.

And, not that I can afford drugs, but what if your dealer doesn't take plastic? I have heard that the legal weed dispensaries in my state are cash only. If they drive them out of business, how will people get high enough to tolerate a cashless society? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Sunlight Caller]

It seems the U.K. is almost cashless right now, many places will not accept payment other than by card, citing Covid as the reason. This doesn’t mean credit card only though, I use a debit card (or more often now ApplePay) as my “cash” and it saves pockets full of loose change. I have the ability to just tap a card / phone on a machine, up to a value of £45 ($60) now, so it is very simple. I keep one account which I top up from time to time, and it links to an app on my phone detailing the recent spend, it’s all very clear and simple.

[Garyhead]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Lovely sentiments expressed eloquently!
Both my parents passed away in 2015, but I do maintain contact with their friends,
as well as my friends' elderly parents. I will purposely reach out *today* thanks to your post.

I too have maintained contact with my parents circle of friends (decreasing in numbers every year..RIP) and my aunts/ uncles / cousins my whole life by sending out that literary tome called "the Holiday Letter" in a Christmas card. The older generation send replies thanking me for the update....not so much the younger generations tho...but at least everybody knows whats up in my life.
This has also made me start thinking what this years letter will be about....I travel extensively but that didn't happen this year....I need to compose something uplifting and positive for 2021. Nobody wants a bitching from a "Crusty Old Coot!"

[progmatist]

And, not that I can afford drugs, but what if your dealer doesn't take plastic? I have heard that the legal weed dispensaries in my state are cash only. If they drive them out of business, how will people get high enough to tolerate a cashless society? Inquiring minds want to know.

Since weed is still technically illegal under federal law, no bank will touch it with a 10 foot pole. In states where it's "legal," all state taxes must be paid with an armored truck full of cash.

[Duncan Glenday]

It seems the U.K. is almost cashless right now, many places will not accept payment other than by card, citing Covid as the reason. This doesn’t mean credit card only though, I use a debit card (or more often now ApplePay) as my “cash” and it saves pockets full of loose change. I have the ability to just tap a card / phone on a machine, up to a value of £45 ($60) now, so it is very simple. I keep one account which I top up from time to time, and it links to an app on my phone detailing the recent spend, it’s all very clear and simple.

I'd always assumed that it was illegal to not accept cash, but more and more businesses are going that way.

I also use a debit card for everything, and there's no limit on it - as long as there are funds to meet the transaction.

I'm paying for more and more with PayPal these days. I just had a deck added to my house, and paid the full $5,000 with PayPal. Also just paid for the new roof they'll be installing next week - with a PayPal transaction of $8,000. And my replacement air con system : also $(too-many) via PayPal. Works for me - it's instant, and 100% cashless.

And BTW - all of Progressive Ears finances are handled on PayPal, and we use them as our bank too.

And speaking of loose change: I used to collect all of my unused pocket change and cash in a few hundred-$ around Christmas time. This year, that little cupboard is bare.

Change happens fast, and Covid is accelerating it.

[Vic2012]

I've noticed that the utilities don't want to deal with mailing physical bills and want everything paid electronically. Nothing new but I still prefer a paper bill and writing a cheque. But losing my faith in the USPS. Cashless is the way, I guess. I pay some bills with apps on the phone but would rather pay the old school way.

[moecurlythanu]

I'd always assumed that it was illegal to not accept cash, but more and more businesses are going that way.

It says right on the currency that "this note is legal tender for all debts, public and private," so I would think they could be forced to accept cash as payment. (Emphasis mine.) Might be something that ends up in court.

[dropforge]

Going completely cashless gives the government and banks too much control. "Sorry, we made a mistake, your funds will be available again in no more than 72 hours," etc., etc.

We don't always have to pay with cash, but we don't always have to use a card, either.

[Camelogue]

Got my car fixed at a body shop and had my daughter's icecskates sharpened. ALL of the idiots working at both places had their masks either around their chins or just their mouths, exposing their honkers. I don't get it. Actually, I do.....

I'm DJT and I approve this message.

[ForeverAutumn]

Back in March I took $200 out of the ATM. That would usually last me a couple of weeks. It's been almost 7 months and I still have over $100 left. For a while, no stores here would take cash. Now most will, but they don't like it. I bought a bag of chips a couple of weeks ago and, out of habit, tried to put it on my credit card. The store wanted to charge me fifteen cents for the transaction. I can't blame them as they get charged by the credit card company. So I paid cash. That was probably the first cash transaction I've made since April.

On the bright side, every time I use my credit card I get back between 1% and 4% of the transaction as a "dividend" paid to me in November. With all these forced credit card transactions, I should have a pretty hefty payment coming to me in November.

[rdclark]

It says right on the currency that "this note is legal tender for all debts, public and private," so I would think they could be forced to accept cash as payment. (Emphasis mine.) Might be something that ends up in court.

Nope. Not in the USA. https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/currency_12772.htm

This issue has been under much discussion lately with the advent of places like Amazon’s automated stores. Large cities, in particular, balk at what they see as an underlying discriminatory bias; some demographics don’t have/can’t afford plastic. And if a city wants to pass a law, it can.

https://www.inquirer.com/business/ph...-20190228.html

But what it says on the currency only means that it’s legal to offer it and legal to accept it. Not that you have to.

As the Philadelphia article points out, there are many types of businesses that currently, for practical or safety reasons, don’t or can’t accept cash, and that won’t change.

[Plasmatopia]

A few months ago when I first heard about a shortage of coins I realized that we had a lot of change that was starting to build up. For some reason we were making transactions that resulted in change, but not using exact change to pay for stuff. Maybe it was just the impulse to get in and get out of the store as quickly as possible? I kind of just assumed that whatever behavior was responsible for the build-up of change at home was also happening to other people and thus the shortage.

[rdclark]

I have stopped accumulating change because I tip more. Anybody who spends their days exposed to Covidiots deserves all the support I can afford them. I’ve always apparently been thought to be a generous tipper (in memory or my waitress mom, perhaps), but now I tip people I never used to. Anyone who provides personal service of any kind gets a tip.

[ronmac]

I have about $80.00 in quarters waiting for the resumption of my semi-regular poker games. Might still be a while.

[Camelogue]

Just got back from New Jersey. Wawa would not take cash, yet some of the businesses were cash only but rounded everything to the nearest dollar.

[moecurlythanu]

Nope. Not in the USA. https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/currency_12772.htm

This issue has been under much discussion lately with the advent of places like Amazon’s automated stores. Large cities, in particular, balk at what they see as an underlying discriminatory bias; some demographics don’t have/can’t afford plastic. And if a city wants to pass a law, it can.

https://www.inquirer.com/business/ph...-20190228.html

But what it says on the currency only means that it’s legal to offer it and legal to accept it. Not that you have to.

As the Philadelphia article points out, there are many types of businesses that currently, for practical or safety reasons, don’t or can’t accept cash, and that won’t change.

Yeah, that might be how it's being applied, but that's not what it says on the bills. All doesn't mean some, it means all, and is doesn't mean can be, it means is. Like so many things enumerated in our laws and foundational documents, expedience bends and molds facts into what works for some. (Usually the corporations and the wealthy.) See also Citizens United, mandatory urine testing, etc.

[rdclark]

"Tender" means "offer." The bills do not say anything about acceptance. There is no law regarding this, aside from local ones like in Philadelphia. I'm sorry if this upsets any long-held beliefs.

[moecurlythanu]

^ Well, we're not going to agree on this, but that looks like a distinction without a difference. As for acceptance, it's implied and follows on from the printed phrase. Some have found that inconvenient, and they apparently have clout. It might be interesting to see how things were done historically after bartering fell into disuse.

[markwoll]

[Zeuhlmate]

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