Corona Virus/Dow Jones taking a hit/possible recession

[MikeandRaph87]

Originally Posted by joe-eyeball

All schools in my state are now closed for at least three weeks. Good thing my wife teaches at the same school and can watch the kids while I go to work and we don’t have to worry about any type of daycare.

My state, Virginia declared a state of emergency and all Spring sports are canceled for the season. Word is my district may not return from Spring break 23rd on.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by IMJ

I read an article somewhere that the many of the rich who have bunkers have been bugging out to them.

Which is fine but... why? The virus isn't coming in the front door with the wind (or is it?). As long as you just lock yourself in your house and don't have guests over and don't take any deliveries you're never going to get the virus. Plus if you're in the bunker that makes your house a nice target for looters.

Originally Posted by joe-eyeball

All schools in my state are now closed for at least three weeks.

6 weeks here in WA, just now. Though how is that going to work? When it resumes, does that mean my kid will be in school through August now?

[joe-eyeball]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

6 weeks here in WA, just now. Though how is that going to work? When it resumes, does that mean my kid will be in school through August now?

Word is in Ohio that the school year will end as usual unless the closing extends further than planned. We have the benefit of having only used a couple snow days and spring break is coming up so the kids here will only be missing about 6 or 7 necessary days. Also my wife’s district has all teachers assembling curriculum packets for students to work on during the closing.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Which is fine but... why? The virus isn't coming in the front door with the wind (or is it?).

People believe crazy stuff, I guess. An old guy who is a greeter at BJ's (Costco competitor) told my mom, after she commented on enjoying the rain, that what we really need is snow. Because it will help get rid of the virus.

I'm not sure what snow would do for it that rain would not, nor how long he'd really expect it to thrive in outdoor conditions anyhow no matter the weather.

[Krutch]

Everyone's on edge at the Production office. We're still in pre-production for the movie we're shooting but Riverdale just shut down, so we all assume our days are numbered.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by Krutch

Everyone's on edge at the Production office. We're still in pre-production for the movie we're shooting but Riverdale just shut down, so we all assume our days are numbered.

You figure they'd put Pre-Production on the back burner to put resources into something that's currently moving and working already...

Can you explain that logic to me? I don't work in film, so there's probably something there to it, but most of the time someone with money would cut there losses and come back later and stick with what's already moving for the time being.

[Redeemer]

Originally Posted by joe-eyeball

All schools in my state are now closed for at least three weeks. Good thing my wife teaches at the same school and can watch the kids while I go to work and we don’t have to worry about any type of daycare.

Hello fellow Ohioan!!!!!! Yeah I was pretty shocked by the news of schools. They even closed down Ohio State and Columbus State campuses and all classes are to become online classes. Crazy I wish I was still in college but seriously its probably a big inconvenience to students especially students who might need extra helps from professors or ta like I did.

[CyberCubed]

We're all going to die!

[Leofan26]

My California State has been declared a State of emergency too. Even flipping Disneyland closed dang. When amusement parks close in our State that's when things hit the roof. Why did Trump ban only Europe? Does he think no one can simply jump countries to get into the US? Hell, why ban when he's letting people who went into that country back into the US? Thata not going to help us.

[Leo656]

Well, this MAY end up being the thing that finally kills me, but not necessarily directly.

My boss told me today that he's 99% certain that we're closing the gym permanently by the end of April. I've been there for ten years.

A sh*tty competitor opened up down the road a few month ago, so we had some bloodletting with that, naturally - most people don't go to a gym expecting results, so 9 out of 10 of them will jump to a $10/month sh*t-shack at the first opportunity even though they're definitely not gonna get the help they need at a place like that - but it had mostly stabilized. But with this whole panic about the pandemic, new enrollments have slowed to a crawl, and with no end in sight it looks like everyone is preparing for the worst. My boss recently conferenced with gym owners all over the country, and he says tons of them are taking "early retirement" and shutting their doors because 1. They can't compete with Planet Fitness and their bullsh*t anyway, and 2. They're all going to be bleeding money for as long as this health crisis is going on. Operating expenses at a gym are a huge money-sink, and most of them operate on a razor-thin profit margin (and a lot of gyms actually lose money and shut down after a few years without ever turning a profit at all).

So, since the lease is up in May, and we're looking to lose at least 50 grand between now and then, he essentially gave me my 6-week notice. Like many people, my wife and I don't have any savings and generally live check-to-check. What has me most concerned, though, is that I really can't see any businesses hiring people until the worst of this is over. So I could literally be completely destitute in a few weeks with no cushion under me or any hope of recovery. I can't even count on getting a job in the same field since gyms are shutting down nationwide over this ordeal. But I don't trust that anyone else will be hiring, either. As of now, I'm planning to hold my nose and fill out a f*cking Wal-Mart application and hope for the best, but what are the odds that'll pan out, seriously?

So yeah, this sucks.

[frank_one]

I'm sorry to hear that, Leo. You seems to be a nice person, I wish you and your wife the best.

[Leo656]

I do my best, as quick to anger as I often am. Thanks for your support.

We'll see what happens. It just really sucks, I've been here for 10 years and it wasn't an easy job to get. And the entire industry I'm in is apparently shutting down so I can't even just go to a new gym, at least not until the panic is over. And even then, I have to take classes again and get re-certified (since every gym wants you to have "their" certification), and most places are a lot more "corporate" and quota-minded than the place I've been at generally is... I got into the business to help people, not hit quotas, and I've heard so many horror stories about gyms that fire you in a month or two if you don't hit your projections. Mentally I'm not cut out for that kind of stress. I once had a therapist tell me point-blank that I'm mentally unfit to work, period, because I have so much depressive anxiety, and that I should try and go on disability for stress, etc., but 1. I'm highly unlikely to qualify, and 2. It wouldn't pay me enough to survive anyway.

I just don't like thinking that everything I've fought and struggled for has all been for nothing, for it to all end like this. Like okay, not to disparage Wal-Mart, or anyone who works there, because odds are that's the only lifeline I'll have at all, and even that will only be if I'm extremely lucky, but I didn't go to school and get all the certifications and then put up with everything I've gone through the last decade-plus just to end up doing that, y'know? It's like if that's where my story ends then I should have just started doing that when I was 17 and not bothered aiming higher in the first place, since it's all for nothing anyway.

My whole life is basically a story of, "Don't bother having aspirations; Real Life is gonna come along and make complete sh*t out of every 'plan' you ever have. And there's not a single thing you can do about it." Because Lord knows this isn't the first time something outside of my control has cost me everything.

Ah well. "It is what it is."

[Wildcat]

I’m sorry about that Leo656. I know what money problems are like. Fortunately they seem to work out someway. You should find a way to get through.

So I heard someone at a local school here had this. We live in a small town. I mean we have all the usual franchises and multiple schools but still small.

I have a doctors appointment at the end of the month. Just a check up but now I’m starting to dread it. I keep thinking you just know some people won’t take the proper precautions even for their own safety.

[Andrew NDB]

My work cut me down to 4 days a week instead of 5. Which will be fine for about two months and some change... that's when I run out of sick days to throw at the weekly missing day. There's also the very real concern that they could cut me down from 4 days a week to 0.

[Leo656]

My gut tells me that while the whole thing is very likely going to get worse before it gets better, in the end it will probably pass sooner than people think. Not soon enough, obviously, but I can't see it dragging on indefinitely.

Problem is, in the meantime it's going to do irreparable harm to the global economy. As I said, I can't see anyone hiring until they're sure that the worst is over with, and with so many business either shutting down or downsizing, cutting hours, etc., there's gonna be a whole lot of people feeling the crunch.

I predict a lot of suicides related to financial ruin. I wouldn't doubt it if those numbers end up outnumbering people who actually die from the virus. I'm not gonna lie, it's something I think about whenever my work situation gets uncertain. "Can I even afford to stay alive?" Technically, the answer is no. In the past, I've just gotten lucky, but it's usually only when I'm thisclose to starving to death. So I completely understand why a lot of people might feel like they have no choice, depending on their own circumstances.

In the end, the worst fallout from this whole ordeal may not even be the virus itself. This could take years to recover from, globally. It's not like all the jobs that shut down are going to spring back to life, or all the people who got laid off are going to be able to walk right back in and pick up where they left off. Some will, most won't. I won't.

What a f*cking mess.

[Redeemer]

Listening to the news right now and apparently China is already re-opening and getting rid of population restriction, so it sounds like the worse of it is over for China. Hopefully the rest of the world will turn around even faster.

[Coola Yagami]

Originally Posted by Redeemer

Listening to the news right now and apparently China is already re-opening and getting rid of population restriction, so it sounds like the worse of it is over for China. Hopefully the rest of the world will turn around even faster.

whoa are you serious?

[Andrew NDB]

Even if it peters out I fully expect this to be weaponized. This is an election year.

[Voltron]

Trump dropped the ball. It's a weapon of his own making. This is what happens when you elect someone who openly admits to "stand by nothing".

Anyone else catch that "foreign virus" dog whistle? As though Europe sent it to the US?

Stock market in free fall. No COVID-19 testing kits. No comprehensive leave for US workers to help stymie the spread.

Then he botched his oval office speech to say all trade is banned from Europe. Forgets to say there's caveats for US citizens, and then rushes to Twitter to clear it up?

All this over a "hoax".

Trump is a joke. I feel sorry for anyone who is still being conned by this clown.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Originally Posted by Voltron

Trump is a joke. I feel sorry for anyone who is still being conned by this clown.

Well be prepared to feel sorry for the entire country until November 2024