C19 Open Discussion Week 23

From MarketWatch:

Did the expired $600 federal jobless benefit keep people from going back to work?

Did generous unemployment benefits discourage many workers from returning to their jobs? A big drop in people seeking or receiving benefits in the past two weeks after the end of a $600 federal stipend hints the answer might be yes.

Initial jobless claims fell to 963,000 in early August, a decline of almost 500,000 from two weeks earlier. New applications had largely been flat at around 1.5 million a week from June to mid-July.

The number of peopled receving benefits, meanwhile, tumbled by 1.5 million in the last two weeks of July to 15.49 million just as the benefit was expiring. That’s the lowest level for these so-called continuing claims since early April.

Some economists say it’s no coincidence new and continuing applications for benefits began to tumble right around the July 31 expiration of the federal stipend.

“This is not rocket science, folks. When you pay people more to sit at home than to go back to work, they sit at home,” said chief economist Stephen Stanley of Amherst Pierpont Securities. “When you don’t, if they are offered a job, they go back to work.”

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571 Responses to C19 Open Discussion Week 23

  1. ExEssex says:

    Alpha.

  2. homeboken says:

    From the article –

    Man who makes more money sitting on couch than he makes going to work, continues to sit on couch.

    Coming up next, water still wet.

  3. Walking says:

    From next week’s article

    Man sitting on couch texting coworkers all day about how much more he is making than them, hurts worker productivity study finds.

  4. Fast Eddie says:

    -Voters can still mail the ballot in, though it must be postmarked by Election Day, which is Nov. 3, and received by the county clerk by 8 p.m. on Nov. 10.

    -Voters can deposit the ballot in a secure drop box that will be set up across New Jersey.

    -Voters will also be able to hand the ballot directly to a poll worker at a polling place on Election Day.

    F.uck you! F.uck you! F.uck you! If I can’t walk into a booth and electronically vote or feed my selections into a machine then f.uck you, it’s ripe for fraud and meddling. F.uck you, Murphy and f.uck you, O’Biden supporters. F.uck you!

  5. Grim says:

    So Murphy and Trump essentially did the exact same thing….

  6. Fast Eddie says:

    Explain?

  7. The Great Pumpkin says:

    China’s gov’t welcomed, supported private capitalist firms, foreign + domestic, for decades. Hong Kong capitalists had no need to flee, contrary to protesters’ and Trump/GOP claims. Now we know.

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-11/hong-kong-s-wealthy-investors-stay-put-with-crisis-plans-ready?cmpid=BBD081420_CN&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=200814&utm_campaign=china

  8. Fast Eddie says:

    Absentee voting and universal mail-in voting are not the same thing.

  9. crushednjmillenial says:

    The fed COVID stimulus should have been Andrew Yang-style UBI.

    All citizens over 18 years of age get $1,000/month from the government. Whether you’re unemployed or employed, rich or poor, whatever race, gender, etc. No eligibility nonsense. It’s universal.

    You get the money no matter how much money you make, so go make as much money as you can.

  10. Fabius Maximus says:

    Grim,

    If Postal Select accounts for 30% of revenue, then someones numbers are wrong. You can have your own opinions, but you cant have your own facts.

    IF you take out having to forward pay the retiree and healthcare, it would be break even or in profit.
    https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2020/0807-usps-reports-third-quarter-fiscal-2020-results.htm

  11. Fabius Maximus says:

    Anyone know where this is in Morristown?

    https://twitter.com/joelockhart/status/1294806338082689024

  12. SundayNoLikeyCommie says:

    Pumpkin,

    The Hong Kong billionaires are trying to gauge if they are still “elite class”. Eventually they flee fast and furiously when they realize they “are not eleite”, only mainland high party members are elite.

    This has happened before. The Oligarchs under Putin. With Castro in ’60. The pltuocrats consider themselves the highest elite and flee when they realize they got to kow tow to a bureacracy.

  13. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    So, word at my district is now 70 staff members are out. My whole department in science is on board to go back to work. Basically, they are looking for leave replacements to fill the voids right now. Many of us will likely have to teach extra classes to make it work. My son found out that he was going virtual yesterday. He was devastated.

  14. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    My family was very wealthy in China prior to the communist takeover. The government literally stole everything from them. My grandfather somehow became the tax collector shortly after and stole it all back before fleeing to Hong Kong. Most of the rich fled to Hong Kong back then. Ironic that all their grandchildren now have to flee Hong Kong today.

  15. Juice Box says:

    Blue as soon as someone sneezes the school year is over anyway. Just sit back and wait for the vaccine. I have been saying for a while now punt the school year until the vaccine is here maybe January and then do two semesters back to back through the summer, no breaks.

  16. 3b says:

    Juice: No way most teachers will want to work through the summer. The union won’t allow it either. Another reason to abolish public sector unions.

  17. SundayNoLikeyCommies says:

    BRT,

    Sorry, but you are now disqualified regarding your complaint of the Ivies not admitting Asians, as you have outed yourself as Asian so you are not a neutral party on that issue.

    Blue Ribbon Teacher says:
    August 16, 2020 at 10:19 am
    My family was very wealthy in China prior to the communist takeover.

  18. SundayWeBetterDoSomethingAboutIt says:

    And talking about ruthlessness, hopelessness with study pointing out that 10% of adults in the USA have considered suicide.

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-16/america-s-covid-fears-are-laid-bare-by-a-special-census-survey?srnd=premium

  19. The Great Pumpkin says:

    “The technology industries of the U.S. and China are in some ways deeply intertwined and in others remarkably separate. The latest actions on the part of the U.S. aim to sever what ties remain.”

    https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-a-u-s-china-tech-divorce-businesses-would-have-to-pick-sides-11597464037?mod=djemTECH

  20. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Prick,

    You do realize that most of the schools don’t have AC? I deal with it. You know how hard it is to teach when the room is 95 degrees. It’s almost impossible to motivate the kids to focus and work.

    3b says:
    August 16, 2020 at 10:31 am
    Juice: No way most teachers will want to work through the summer. The union won’t allow it either. Another reason to abolish public sector unions.

  21. Phoenix says:

    “Juice: No way most teachers will want to work through the summer.”

    You need time for pedicures, lounging at the town pool with friends, drinking glasses of wine while watching the ID channel together, etc.

    In other observations, I drive past a liquor store on the way to work every day. Maybe just because of the time of day, but more and more women seem to be soaking up the booze. So I looked this up.

    More women are drinking alcohol and an Iowa State University research team is working to understand why.

    Maybe it’s the alcohol that is turning them into Karens.

    https://phys.org/news/2019-08-women.html#:~:text=While%20women%20still%20drink%20less,says%20this%20is%20largely%20anecdotal.

  22. 3b says:

    Pumps: Prick really? Get up on the wrong side of the bed today dear? You would think that after being called out last week by Grim for your lying behavior, you would have enough self awareness to lie low for a week or so, since it appears you are never going to leave.

  23. The Great Pumpkin says:

    And again, teachers are managers…when do corporate managers have to jump through hoops to motivate their workers? They don’t, they fire them.

    Maybe suburban schools are a little easier to manage as their parents hold them in check, but for urban schools, it’s a mission every single day. That’s why if I decide to leave the teaching profession, I know I have the skills to take on the most difficult management positions in corporate.

  24. Grim says:

    Add it all up, all programs, including unsolicited mail sent first class, not just bulk mail. Be sure to include non-traditional methods like Every Door Direct and the other every-address delivered programs.

  25. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Yes, you put down my profession. Therefore you are a prick.

    3b says:
    August 16, 2020 at 11:20 am
    Pumps: Prick really?

  26. Phoenix says:

    “You do realize that most of the schools don’t have AC?”

    Have to admit this is pretty pathetic. OTOH before global warming it was not as hot while kids are at school. I don’t remember having so many hot days when I was there and we did not have A/C.

    Good thing is now when they retrofit it they can use a negative pressure system to pump the Covid out of the building. Of course you will have to certify your principal for that and she will want an extra 50k to be able to read the display.

  27. njtownhomer says:

    Whoever slows down and disrupts USPS is a killer. So many medicine is delivered thru this system. This stupid move will backlash big.

    Whoever is scared of mail-in voting is coward too. This will make the process much friction-less and I hole it will be a stepping stone to online voting. So many people who work, go to school, have obligations and commitments on a mid week Tue will soon be voting. So long the old system.

  28. 3b says:

    Pumps: Leave the profession and go into corporate management. First of all I believe you are pushing 40, you are too old. No need to get into all the other reasons.

  29. Phoenix says:

    You might be right pumps. Most adults are just very large children.

    ” I know I have the skills to take on the most difficult management positions in corporate.”

  30. The Great Pumpkin says:

    And what about other professions? You see the perks at Google or Apple? How bout most C Suite executives? Look at pro athletes. Yet, you pick on teachers. What about your profession? Medical field has a ton of perks.

    “You need time for pedicures, lounging at the town pool with friends, drinking glasses of wine while watching the ID channel together, etc.”

  31. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Remember, teachers are not paid to have summer off. The contract is from September to June. So don’t act like it’s paid summers off.

  32. 30 year realtor says:

    Vaccine in January? Is it a handful of skittles magically distributed to the entire country by unicorns?

  33. 3b says:

    NJ: There are legitimate reasons for being opposed to mail in voting especially for a country this size, the first being fraud. Second, if voting is so important at least Presidential elections then people can make the effort as its once every 4 years. Of course it could be made a holiday to encourage more people to vote, but even that probably would not increase voter turn out.

  34. Phoenix says:

    Since some would like everything privatized, lets go right to the core.
    Do you want a privatized police force?

    I finally agreed with something AOC stated yesterday, that the police should not be “endorsing” anyone for President.

    Their “endorsement” should begin and end at pulling a lever in a voting booth where they get to choose the person they want.

    After that-do your job under ANY administration that was legally voted in as that is what your job is. If you can’t handle it punch out, quit, and do something else.

    If you cannot be objective you should quit.

  35. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I look like I’m 25…

    Too old? Just shut up with your bs.

    3b says:
    August 16, 2020 at 11:24 am
    Pumps: Leave the profession and go into corporate management. First of all I believe you are pushing 40, you are too old. No need to get into all the other reasons.

  36. Phoenix says:

    “Medical field has a ton of perks.”

    List some.

  37. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Phoenix,

    AOC can go to hell. It’s America, people can endorse whoever they want. There she goes trying control people again in the name of “good.”

  38. The Great Pumpkin says:

    If not working in the emergency room, there is almost no stress in your work environment.

    Some hospitals that are slow, you sit around and do sh!t most of the time. You don’t hear me complaining about it, but maybe I should. I have yet to see a stressed out doctor, dentist, etc.. in my life.

    Phoenix says:
    August 16, 2020 at 11:34 am
    “Medical field has a ton of perks.”

    List some.

  39. The Great Pumpkin says:

    You want to see stress…come into an urban classroom and try to maintain the environment from regressing into chaos, which is the norm for these students in their lives.

    I’ve had days where I was going to give up. It’s tough and you have to be someone that doesn’t give up to last in an urban district. Place is ruthless.

  40. grim says:

    Got my phase 3 participation call last week, waiting to schedule the enrollment/visit.

  41. 3b says:

    Pumps: You look like your 25, so corporate America will hire you? Yep! That’s all
    It takes. Your knowledge of corporate America is astounding!

  42. The Great Pumpkin says:

    3b,

    You haven’t learned a thing from JJ, now have you?

  43. joyce says:

    How about making voting open from Saturday to the following Sunday and requiring a government ID? Is that a compromise for the D’s and R’s? Not referring to this year or to coronavirus just throwing out an idea.

    njtownhomer says:
    August 16, 2020 at 11:22 am
    Whoever slows down and disrupts USPS is a killer. So many medicine is delivered thru this system. This stupid move will backlash big.

    Whoever is scared of mail-in voting is coward too. This will make the process much friction-less and I hole it will be a stepping stone to online voting. So many people who work, go to school, have obligations and commitments on a mid week Tue will soon be voting. So long the old system.

  44. Phoenix says:

    “If not working in the emergency room, there is almost no stress in your work environment.”

    I think I will just let this sit there.

    Res ipsa loquitur.

  45. 3b says:

    Joyce: That is a very reasonable solution.

  46. ExEssex says:

    11:31
    Diebold: the controversial manufacturer of voting and ATM machines, whose name conjures up the demons of Ohio’s 2004 presidential election irregularities, is now finally under indictment for a “worldwide pattern of criminal conduct.” Federal prosecutors filed charges against Diebold, Inc. on Tuesday, October 22, 2013 alleging that the North Canton, Ohio-based security and manufacturing company bribed government officials and falsified documents to obtain business in China, Indonesia and Russia. Diebold has agreed to pay $50 million to settle the two criminal counts against it. This is not the first time Diebold’s been accused of bribery. In 2005, the Free Press exposed that Matt Damschroder, Republican chair of the Franklin County of Elections in 2004, reported that a key Diebold operative told Damschroder he made a $50,000 contribution to then-Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell’s “political interests” while Blackwell was evaluating Diebold’s bids for state purchasing contracts. Damschroder admitted to personally accepting a $10,000 check from former Diebold contractor Pasquale “Patsy” Gallina made out to the Franklin County Republican Party. That contribution was made while Damschroder was involved in evaluating Diebold bids for county contracts. Damschroder was suspended for a month without pay for the incident. Despite the scandal, he was later appointed as Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted’s Director of Elections.

  47. Phoenixs says:

    Essex,
    Just about everything/everyone in America is for sale.

    That is why it is falling apart now. No integrity.

  48. Phoenix says:

    Love the irony,

    Mothers against drunk driving, but mothers are binge drinking more.
    It stands to reason that they continue to drive.

    “Moms Are Binge Drinking More”
    “It’s still unknown why women are increasing drinking relative to men, but we encourage physicians to screen all adults—not just select groups of men and women—for alcohol use disorders and referring them to appropriate treatment.”

  49. SmallGovConservative says:

    Phoenix says:
    August 16, 2020 at 11:31 am

    “Since some would like everything privatized…”

    Wrong! Absolutely no one wants ‘everything’ privatized. Some of us simply want govt to only provide essential and appropriate services (national defense, law enforcement, diplomatic and trade relations with other countries…) as efficiently as possible, and to get out of the wealth redistribution business.

    “…police should not be “endorsing” anyone for President.”

    Neither should any other public employee union, 99% of which endorse Dems. Reason number 8,297 why there should be no public employee unions.

  50. The Great Pumpkin says:

    China’s economic rise says you are wrong. They have absolutely helped their domestic business front out with big govt.

    “Wrong! Absolutely no one wants ‘everything’ privatized. Some of us simply want govt to only provide essential and appropriate services (national defense, law enforcement, diplomatic and trade relations with other countries…) as efficiently as possible, and to get out of the wealth redistribution business.”

  51. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Get a life…keep advocating for worse working conditions for your fellow Americans. Claim to be patriotic, but only really care about yourself.

    “Neither should any other public employee union, 99% of which endorse Dems. Reason number 8,297 why there should be no public employee unions.”

  52. ExEssex says:

    12:20 the only wealth that’s redistributed is to corporate America, the big banks, and farmers.

  53. Phoenix says:

    SGC

    “Reason number 8,297 why there should be no public employee unions.”

    So you believe that the police should not have a union?

  54. Phoenix says:

    And SGC,

    Are you against non-public employee unions?

  55. Phoenix says:

    SGC,

    So you agree with AOC on this one? Seems like you do with your statement.

    “…police should not be “endorsing” anyone for President.”

    Neither should any other public employee union, “

  56. Phoenix says:

    “and to get out of the wealth redistribution business.”

    Take a 100 billion dollar company, TikTok, and give it to Microsoft.

  57. 3b says:

    There are no unions in white collar America. Corporate pensions are gone. More and more of health costs have been pushed on to the employees. You are employed at will , no job security. Why should any of us care about unions for public or private sector.

  58. SmallGovConservative says:

    3b says:
    August 16, 2020 at 1:02 pm

    “Why should any of us care about unions for public or private sector.”

    I don’t care about private sector unions. But I agree with FDR’s comments on public sector unions from 1937: “”All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management. The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with Government employee organizations. The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives in Congress. Accordingly, administrative officials and employees alike are governed and guided, and in many instances restricted, by laws which establish policies, procedures, or rules in personnel matters.”

    Here’s a good opinion piece…
    https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/02/18/the-first-blow-against-public-employees/fdr-warned-us-about-public-sector-unions

  59. 3b says:

    Small There are no private unions in white collar corporate America; at least none that I am aware of. As for public sector unions we are held hostage by them. They seem to think they should be deemed above all the rest of us.

  60. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    The NJEA issues statements saying how we should all be remote for schooling without surveying their entire membership. That’s a good reason they shouldn’t exist.

  61. 3b says:

    BRT: The NJEA is the politburo their decrees must be followed. No dissent tolerated.

  62. joyce says:

    SEIU has public and private employees, right? I don’t know the percentages.

  63. Fast Eddie says:

    How about making voting open from Saturday to the following Sunday and requiring a government ID? Is that a compromise for the D’s and R’s?

    Yes!! But then how would the Dems commit fraud and collect illegal votes? And what devious tactics would they imply in their favor? By the way, here are some things below that require ID. I can’t even walk into Costc0 without one:

    1. Boarding an airplane
    2. Writing a check
    3. Cashing a check
    4. Using a credit card
    5. Driving a motor vehicle
    6. Applying for a business license
    7. Applying for permission to hold a protest or rally
    8. Securing employment
    9. Purchasing a house or real estate
    10. Renting a domicile
    11. Renting a motor vehicle
    12. Purchasing a firearm (Includes BB guns)
    13. Applying for a hunting license (waived for 16 and 17 year olds when their legal guardian provides a photo ID)
    14. Applying for a fishing license (waived for 16 and 17 year olds when their legal guardian provides a photo ID)
    15. Purchasing alcoholic beverages
    16. Purchasing tobacco or products that contain nicotine
    17. Purchasing a motor vehicle
    18. Initial registration of a motor vehicle
    19. Applying for a building permit
    20. Receiving prescription medicine
    21. Purchasing OTC medicine that contains pseudoephedrine
    22. Serving on jury duty
    23. Getting a bank account
    24. Cash transactions of $5000.00 or greater
    25. Sales tax exemption for people aged 80 and above

  64. SundayHopeIsChocolateIceCream says:

    Looking at Moran’s article, there is a very very small possibility that by being an ex-banker from GS, Murphy sees an angle that we don’t.

    That angle is refinancing the Whitman debt, the amount of money needed to use for the 2021-22 FY all with today’s low interest rates. If Murphy does this, I must applaud him.

    The sprinkle on the ice cream is if Sweeny is able to force regionalization. Is just not benefits, you need a lower head count and force regionalization and merging is the only way.

  65. Fast Eddie says:

    Grim,

    Unmod please.

  66. Phoenix says:

    SGC

    “Reason number 8,297 why there should be no public employee unions.”

    So you believe that the police should not have a union?

    A yes no answer would suffice.

  67. 3b says:

    Sunday: Rates have been low for years, I am
    Sure and I can easily find out if it has been refinanced over the years.

  68. SmallGovConservative says:

    No public employee unions, period. At the end of the day, they’re simply un-affordable. They’ve essentially already bankrupted NJ and IL and will eventually do the same to other governments at all levels. Having said that, I’m not opposed to very narrowly scoped police/fire organizations that represent employee views on safety issues only.

  69. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    BRT: The NJEA is the politburo their decrees must be followed. No dissent tolerated.

    They don’t even care about dissent. Their elections are about as legit as the ones in North Korea.

  70. Phoenix says:

    About time for a new sequel.

    Falling Down 2

  71. 3b says:

    I would have unions for police and fire, and other essential workers , nurses, technicians. The rest no.

  72. Fast Eddie says:

    Why not vote from your laptop or phone? Go to the voter link or app, enter your voter ID number and submit your choices. Of course, you have to apply for your voter ID number and verify your eligibility.

  73. AP says:

    Fast Eddie, that’s where everyone wants to get to but we are nowhere near being able to deliver securely from a technology perspective.

    There are issues of trust, transparency and verification that still need to be solved. Not to mention more routine could concerns like scale and availability. It’s doable though and I’m think we’ll get there somewhat sooner rather than later.

  74. joyce says:

    No unions for police and make fire all volunteer.

    3b says:
    August 16, 2020 at 2:24 pm
    I would have unions for police and fire, and other essential workers , nurses, technicians. The rest no.

  75. Chicago says:

    NJ can’t simply refinance debt. They have to hold an embedded call feature in the debt contract. The critical point is whether you are income statement oriented or balance sheet oriented.

    In many instances, a refinance is just prepaying, and worse paying a tender premium. However, most with an agenda will sneak the tender under the radar, and will point to lower interest rates in future years (I/S). Rational thinkers will recognize debt is increased. As an ex-banker, I’m sure Murphy is focused on lining the pockets of his friends.

    SundayHopeIsChocolateIceCream says:
    August 16, 2020 at 1:42 pm
    Looking at Moran’s article, there is a very very small possibility that by being an ex-banker from GS, Murphy sees an angle that we don’t.

    That angle is refinancing the Whitman debt, the amount of money needed to use for the 2021-22 FY all with today’s low interest rates. If Murphy does this, I must applaud him.

    The sprinkle on the ice cream is if Sweeny is able to force regionalization. Is just not benefits, you need a lower head count and force regionalization and merging is the only way.

  76. Phoenix says:

    “NJ can’t simply refinance debt. They have to hold an embedded call feature in the debt contract. The critical point is whether you are income statement oriented or balance sheet oriented.

    In many instances, a refinance is just prepaying, and worse paying a tender premium. However, most with an agenda will sneak the tender under the radar, and will point to lower interest rates in future years (I/S). Rational thinkers will recognize debt is increased. As an ex-banker, I’m sure Murphy is focused on lining the pockets of his friends.”

    And from SGC,
    ” and to get out of the wealth redistribution business.”
    Looks like government is firmly in this business. Not going to change anytime soon.

  77. 3b says:

    Joyce: No way can be all volunteer. Towns now are struggling to get volunteers. Perhaps on a regionalized /county basis. As for Police I believe at least for urban areas, a police union would be warranted. For suburban areas I don’t see the need, or at least to the extent in urban areas. First thing in Bergen Co and other areas is to regionalize on a county basis. The days of having each town with their own force is no longer sustainable.

  78. 3b says:

    Chgo :Those bonds were issued in 1997, so I assume they had a 10 year standard call feature, so they could have been called and new bonds issued with longer maturities. I would imagine there might have been other redemption features such as mandatory sinking funds etc. when I get the chance I will do the research. I know GS was part of the original underwriting effort back in 97, might have even been senior manager I don’t recall. GS was a large muni underwriter in those days. Today they have a relatively small presence in the market.

  79. joyce says:

    Police jobs are less dangerous than bus drivers and a whole host of others … no union for them.

  80. homeboken says:

    I’ll make a trade – teachers can keep their unions but parents/students should be allowed to choose where they consume the education they pay for.

    Choice – the key to any growth is choice. Give me an example when more than one choice resulted in a worse outcome for the consumer.

  81. Juice Box says:

    Back from a quick trip to Lavallete, the place looked pretty ghosted, I know it’s rainy and all but really nobody there. Point Pleasant was empty too.

  82. grim says:

    Weather looked pretty miserable in the morning, and they were calling for rain all day.

    Was down on LBI two weekends ago – was absolutely packed.

  83. grim says:

    Murphy still seems hell bent on permitting school sports, despite the data points coming from all around the country.

    Reading his commentary on sports, he’s clearly biased towards allow it, regardless of what the data say (for example, the 30 Rutgers football players that tested positive).

    Ironically, he doesn’t share the same bias for businesses, notably restaurants, which this winter will be a nail in the coffin for thousands of restaurants across NJ.

    He rolled back gatherings based on one party. Yet not a single peep about rolling back sports when 30 football players test positive.

    I can slam Wayne on this one, the swim meet at Toms Lake a week or so ago was an absolute clusterfuck with at least 100 people crammed into a tiny area – athletes, parents, coaches, etc. Not to mention, we’re not talking about a highly chlorinated body of water either. Not only bringing together the residents from one town, but there were multiple towns competing. Seems like the perfect opportunity for community spread.

  84. grim says:

    I mean, if this is the case, why not permit the NJ Restaurant Association to determine the safety of indoor dining?

    https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2020/08/if-schools-are-fully-remote-can-they-compete-in-njsiaa-sports-organization-has-answer.html?fbclid=IwAR36f_-mverHPlRptQQI9o3SKkBwR8bX4xGSVy7h532fnNom_phautFqEPk

    Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Wednesday that New Jersey school districts which determine they can not safely and effectively open this fall would be able to start the 2020-2021 school year with a fully remote learning plan.

    So what does it mean for the athletic teams from those schools which are choosing an all-remote option with students not coming to school? Will they be allowed to participate in high school sports this fall?

    According to the NJSIAA, yes.

  85. Juice Box says:

    Here is the data on High School Sports from other states, several states have punted Football to the Spring

    https://www.maxpreps.com/news/qiL5GOXkFkyfJ9jwZ8wb-g/where-the-start-of-high-school-sports-stands-in-all-50-states-amid-pandemic.htm

  86. D-FENS says:

    https://twitter.com/foogatwo/status/1295083981923385346?s=20

    #NJ #Covid19 Case update for Sunday, 8/16. Will a reporter PLEASE bring this up. Here’s what happened, on Aug 13th/14th, the state reported 699 and 585 cases, respectively. If you need more background, see my TL for details. They dumped ~400 cases from Bergen and #Unknown, NJ /1

    Over the last two days, they have deleted over 153 of these cases, which means they essentially have inflated Rt for the next 7 days, pumped up “new” cases, then retracted them with no explanation. /2

    Further, they have deleted over 210 cases from June and earlier in just the last 2 days, again, without an explanation. This undoubtedly had an impact on previous Rt calculations up until this point, which LOCKED US DOWN. . What on earth is going on in the state of NJ data?? /3

  87. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Ding ding…we have a winner. Someone gets it.

    “Wrong and wrong and wrong. For those who want 2019 back, no worries. It’s coming. We will rise. We have been through this before…over and over. Up and down. It’s a cycle. Whenever we are in a down cycle, we think it’s permanent. It’s all doom and gloom. Nothing will be the same again. Remember 2009? Massive unemployment. Government bailouts? Everyone losing their homes. It wad bad until it wasn’t. Then we went through a booming period up until March 2020. Up until covid, we thought the good times would never end. Then BAM! Covid punches us in the face.. Now we are in a down cycle. Things are bad…and we think it’s permanent. But it’s not. Eventually we will find a vaccine. In a couple years covid will be no worse than a cold. The economy will get better. People will pack the restaurants again. Kids will return to school. We’ll experience booming times, and we will think we are invincible again. Then the economy will tank….and the cycle will start again.

    We go through cycles. Some people make it through. Some don’t. To survive the down times (as best you can), you should prepare for them during the booming times. When the economy rises, and everybody thinks the good times will never end, save your money. Pay off your house. Pay down your debt. Stack your 401k. Find yourself a side hustle. Then…when the down cycle comes, you won’t be in a world of hurt….at least financially. So few people do this.”

  88. The Great Pumpkin says:

    So when are you going to start volunteering?

    joyce says:
    August 16, 2020 at 3:13 pm
    No unions for police and make fire all volunteer.

  89. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Bull sh!t. Employees bankrupted states? Get out of here.

    SmallGovConservative says:
    August 16, 2020 at 2:07 pm
    No public employee unions, period. At the end of the day, they’re simply un-affordable. They’ve essentially already bankrupted NJ and IL and will eventually do the same to other governments at all levels. Having said that, I’m not opposed to very narrowly scoped police/fire organizations that represent employee views on safety issues only.

  90. The Great Pumpkin says:

    You guys are a weird bunch. You cry about how jobs were off-shored and people don’t make enough money, and then you advocate for the elimination of unions and decent american jobs. What’s wrong with you people? Are you that cheap that you would destroy American lives to save 500 a year in taxes? Maybe you are jealous because you are stuck in some crappy job and now everyone has to be miserable too. I don’t know, but it’s something driving this anger and hatred.

  91. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Like the teaching profession. It’s not over compensated. Avg pay is 68,000 and you are sitting here crying about it. You have to give these people a decent life. Just admit you like to take a dump on the profession and have no respect for it. You weren’t the first, and you won’t be the last. I challenge you to go work in an urban district for 15 years. I bet you won’t last even 5 years. The job is tough and that’s why it has a HUGE turnover rate. Most people won’t even apply to an urban district. They won’t go near it. If they do, it’s for like 3 years tops before they run for the hills.

  92. SmallGovConservative says:

    The Great Pumpkin says:
    August 17, 2020 at 8:52 am
    “Bull sh!t. Employees bankrupted states? ”

    The New Jersey Pension Crisis: Flailing in Deep Waters
    “Though one of the wealthiest states in the Union, New Jersey faces one of the country’s deepest budget crises. A 2017 Mercatus Center report ranked the state’s financial condition as the worst in the nation; other good judges reach similar conclusions. It has the highest taxes, the worst business climate (or one of the very worst), the second-lowest credit rating, and one of the most sclerotic state governments of any US state. In common with most of the states now in the worst fiscal shape, New Jersey’s woes arise largely from the financial burdens created by decades of underfunded, overgenerous government-employee pension promises. For many years, the state and municipal office holders have been able to make pension promises to government workers, satisfying influential government-employee lobbies…”

    https://www.mercatus.org/system/files/shepard-nj-pension-crisis-mercatus-working-paper-v1.pdf

  93. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    Grim, I don’t know what you are talking about. Murphy has consistently said, he lets the science guide his decisions.

  94. The Great Pumpkin says:

    And you guys are correct about NYC for now…but long term, this is a buying opportunity. You are telling me cities are going to die? What are people going to do for vacation in the future if this is the case? Go on a “zoom” vacation, or go visit some small town in America because cities are dead?

  95. The Great Pumpkin says:

    No, don’t blame workers for politicians diverting their money to other sources.

    American Dream.. how much money went into private company hands? That’s just one example. How bout Christie telling Trump he didn’t have to pay back the 30 million or 40 million he owed the state? How many tax breaks to all these corporations who are in bed with the politicians?

    Don’t blame workers for this mess. DO NOT!

    SmallGovConservative says:
    August 17, 2020 at 9:10 am
    The Great Pumpkin says:
    August 17, 2020 at 8:52 am
    “Bull sh!t. Employees bankrupted states? ”

  96. AJ says:

    RU football, these athletes, live, eat, party, and practice together.
    Very different from JUST sports practice and games.

  97. ExEssex says:

    gIb mE oNe gOod rEaSoN tO vOtE fOr bIdEn…?!

  98. D-FENS says:

    Orange man BAD!

  99. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Choice can be expensive. What will happen with public schools if they were privatized. You would end up with the cheap choice or the expensive choice. It would make no difference. You would end up exactly with what you have now…bad schools filled with poor kids (that’s if they even go as they won’t be paying for school) and good schools filled with rich kids. Don’t believe me? Look at the college landscape. See how expensive it can be?

    How would we better off with what you advocate for?

    “Choice – the key to any growth is choice. Give me an example when more than one choice resulted in a worse outcome for the consumer.”

  100. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Seriously, you take govt supported colleges out of the equation and you will be stuck with no decent cheap option.

  101. grim says:

    RU football, these athletes, live, eat, party, and practice together.
    Very different from JUST sports practice and games.

    If someone can be infected by the virus by simply sitting next to someone, I fail to see how playing football isn’t equally as risky, given even closer proximity, physical contact, etc. Don’t be absurd.

  102. grim says:

    Data determines? Data determines what?

  103. The Great Pumpkin says:

    “Extending the Northern Branch Corridor of Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will provide additional travel options to improve convenience and travel time for customers in Bergen County. Learn more about this project, and over 100 more, in our 5-Year Capital Plan at njtplans.com”

  104. Phoenix says:

    Is that what they are calling the new Covid Express?

  105. PumpkinsKnowNothing AboutPolitics says:

    Pumpkin,

    The line is NOT going anywhere. Great idea originally extending all the way to Nyack anf further on a rarely used RR line. However, if you did not notice Rockland is severely public transportation allergic, they are in par with Hunterdon and Sussex County – that is why the new Tappan Zee does not have train tracks as originally designed.

    Rockland made sure nothing would be built on their side, by tearing up the tracks and making it a walkway/bikeway. And the towns north of Englewood don’t want anything to do with it, Tenafly objected profoundly. (is now planned to end at Englewood Hospital).

    The push for this come from 2 sides. The public transportation cheering squad trying to rebuild the old PSEG Rapid Transit/Trolley network and the big developers that are eyeing development (like The Brownstones at Englewood) along the tracks which are now mainly industrial and swampland.

  106. D-FENS says:

    COVID state by state comparison…

    https://www.senatenj.com/uploads/COVID-States-Comparison-Sheet1.pdf

    Interesting how Gyms and Indoor dining are open just about everywhere at reduced capacity and there are still lowered Death rates than NJ.

  107. Juice Box says:

    Death rate in NJ? It’s higher do to age and comorbidity, some had several.

    Death by Age Group.

    80 yrs + 47.3%
    65-79 yrs 32.2%
    50-64 yrs 15.9%

    Underlying conditions for Lab-confirmed COVID-19 associated deaths

    Cardiovascular Disease 58.0%
    Diabetes 44.1%
    OtherChronicDiseases 35.1%
    Neurologic 18.5%
    ChronicLungDisease 17.5%
    Others 17%
    ChronicRenalDisease 17%
    Cancer 10%

    Anyone care to wager what percentage of these people would have died anyway this year without Covid?

  108. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    When I worked at Rutgers, we ate in the faculty dining hall daily. The football team, in the summer, had gigantic catered buffets in the banquet rooms of the faculty dining hall for lunch. I doubt they are doing that outside right now.

  109. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    People can’t grasp statistics and probability anymore. The reality is, the .2 % chance of death is a meaningless statistic to most cohorts. Children probably have a .002% chance of death.

    People with heart conditions probably have an 80% chance of death.

  110. Juice Box says:

    Light rail? The extension they are building now which is only 3,700 feet will take four years and 220 million.You think they can go another 25 miles up to Rockland county in your lifetime? How many bus rides up and down that 3,700 feet can you pay for with 220 million?

  111. Juice Box says:

    Type 2 diabetes which kills more people than Covid19 is preventable.

    Keeping weight under control, exercising more, eating a healthy diet, and not smoking, yet we have not banned those things.

  112. Juice Box says:

    Call it a day folks Newark’s school district just announced will not be reopening for in-person instruction.

  113. AJ says:

    Football may very well spread COVID at a high rate, just saying, apples to orange comparison comparing RU football to HS sports, scientifically speaking.

    If someone can be infected by the virus by simply sitting next to someone, I fail to see how playing football isn’t equally as risky, given even closer proximity, physical contact, etc. Don’t be absurd

    RU football, these athletes, live, eat, party, and practice together.
    Very different from JUST sports practice and games.

  114. 3b says:

    Juice: The Rockland thing ain’t happening. Pearl River to Hoboken is a 1 hour 10 minute slog to Hoboken, unless you can get the limited express train. Ain’t no need, as WFH is here. I pass the train station a couple of times a week and it’s virtually empty. On another note I asked my wife about dancing partners named Mary as I suspected more than one, there are 4! One is probably your Mom.

  115. The Great Pumpkin says:

    At least some people get it..

    “This thread of comments is depressing. As someone who lives there, it nowhere near “destroyed” nor in a state of looting or riots. Lay off the Fox kool-aid. Real estate prices were way too high and this might lead to a normalization. Thinking people wont be back is crazy.”

    “I created an account just to say that anyone who actually knows New York knows this is a bunch of click bait garbage. Yeah some places are quiet now… It’s also the summer, when it’s always quiet! Of course New York will bounce back. It always has and always will. Of course this guy isn’t writing from downtown on a weekend night when loads of outdoor tables are full because that doesn’t support this unnecessarily negative outlook.”

    “I’m just shaking my head at the pessimism in this column. NYC will always be the crossroads of the world, and the capital of all things financial, cultural, and forward looking. It has been punched many times, but always gets up, dusts itself off and reinvents itself to the times. This time will be no different. By having such a diverse population, made up of immigrants unafraid to face the unknown, it benefits from the flexibility of thinking and imagination that is in fact its greatest albeit overlooked strength.”

    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-york-city-is-dead-forever-according-to-one-lifelong-new-yorker-2020-08-16?siteid=yhoof2

  116. Juice Box says:

    3b – We just had her down in Lavalette for her 83rd birthday, my sister rented a nice place backed up to the Bay and Jacobsen Park there, nice day even with the rain kids went swimming anyway.

    Jerry the owner of Fox’s is struggling to survive. I think he owns the property so he isn’t done yet, but parking lot eating and drinking however won’t last once the weather gets cold, there is going to be allot of boarded up restaurants soon in every town.

  117. TruthIsTheEnemy says:

    Christie Whitman is one of the big stars for trump takedown night.

    She has such a long track record of success, I’m sure she’s really going to rally the base with all of the credibility she carries. Can they at least only do front camera shots so we don’t have to look at that beak the whole time(not that illl be watching)?

  118. TruthIsTheEnemy says:

    Pumpkin

    That’s more than a punch, that’s a gaping wound. 1/2 productive people have hit the exit.

    The city was steadily losing gainful people before that. It will take many years to geck back to where it was, and that’s only with favorable political climate.

    I wouldn’t count on it. The democratic politicians have decided they want to prove everyone a lesson by allowing their areas to be destroyed.

  119. TruthIsTheEnemy says:

    1/2 million

  120. Grim says:

    but parking lot eating and drinking however won’t last once the weather gets cold, there is going to be allot of boarded up restaurants soon in every town.

    If the weather holds, maybe we can push into early November.

    That’s a stretch though, late October is probably the end of it. Even that late is going to need lots of patio heaters and fire pits at night.

    Was in the parking lot of a restaurant on Friday I could not believe.

    Totally enclosed tent – one of those fancy outdoor wedding tents. Closed except for the doorway, maybe 6-8 feet wide.

    They had one of those huge portable air conditioners next to the tent – like you see for aux cooling in a data center – Movincool.

    What the serious f@ck? Wonder how long they’ll get away with that. Or does that slip past as a technicality?

  121. Juice Box says:

    Grim – “Wonder how long they’ll get away with that”

    Drove by a restaurant in Brick yesterday they removed the windows and were open.

  122. Fast Eddie says:

    There’s no rules to the Covid seating arrangements. F.uck, there’s a hardware store in my area that still doesn’t allow people in the place. You walk up to the front door which is now a window of sorts and ask for what you need. Other establishments are practically a fend for yourself setup. Nobody has answers, mere speculation abounds.

  123. 3b says:

    Juice: Nice for your Mom. I am sure she is enjoying herself. God Bless. Jerry Fox sold out his interest in Tommy Fox’s about 3 years ago. He opened a new spot in Northvale called Gerry s Place, which has had a number of different owners. Before him I believe it was called Jose O Reilly’s a taco place. I was up there last week, and he said he is doing OK. The town let him put up a permanent tent, without all the bs nonsense required. He said he has been doing well since outdoor dining, and the night I was there he had a good crowd.

  124. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Truth,

    The only thing this can do is make nyc a better value than it was before. Just think of city growth like the S&P 500, up and down she goes, but long term is always higher.

    It’s simply a cleansing of the market by a depression type environment. Depression doesn’t mean it will all crash, it just means major change. The pace of change is ultra fast, since the economy took such a big punch. Old businesses are being pushed out, and new ones that are going to be so much stronger will replace them.

    To sit here and think a city of such magnitude and importance will die is simply crazy. It’s the equivalent of the idiots that think America will die. Yea, sure.

  125. 3b says:

    Truth Before the pandemic companies had been geographically dispersing, including my own despite what one person refuses to acknowledge. And a big part of this was due to cost. My team before the pandemic was in the process of being split between 5 locations. Only one was going to be in NYC. As well we were already working 2days a week from home, and we are going to at least 3. It’s never going back to what it was before the pandemic, because it was already changing; those of us who actually work in corporate America understand that. The pandemic accelerated the process.

  126. D-FENS says:

    One of those crazy restaurant tents is going to catch fire in the fall I bet. That’ll be on Murphy.

  127. Grim says:

    They’ll get closed up with patio heaters and have people passing out from carbon monoxide exposure.

  128. Juice Box says:

    3B – That’s right he did sell out, and opened that new place, I have not been in there in a while Tommy Reilly owns it now. Glad to hear Gerry is doing ok. My brother worked for them after he got out of college and they are friends, small world.

  129. 1987 condo says:

    Saliva test??. New??. I thought Rutgers had one back in April, Why am I hearing about a revolutionary new one?

  130. A Home Buyer says:

    I’m still waiting for the “cure” to turn into the Kricken virus.

    Don’t let me down 2020.

  131. 3b says:

    Juice: Yes it was Tommy and Jerry, and that’s where the name came from of course. Jerry s new place is beautiful, and the food is excellent, far above the typical pub grub. I am glad he is doing OK, but what happens end of October, remains to be seen. I have not seen Tommy Reilly in a while, so don’t know how his spot his doing. Hopefully OK. Both nice guys I wish them well. Yes, it really is a small world.

  132. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    I used to go to Tommy’s for St. Patty’s Day. It was heavily populated by people that I went to elementary school with.

  133. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    What the serious f@ck? Wonder how long they’ll get away with that. Or does that slip past as a technicality?

    I talked to the owner of Sahara in Manville. I’ve been friendly with him since he opened up Sahara in New Brunswick a few doors down from my old apartment. I asked him if he was able to do the dining adjacent to the completely open from top to bottom doors that span a 100 ft length. By my accounts, it would qualify as outdoor according to the new guidelines. He said he was doing it but so many people driving by would call up the health department that it was just easier to sit them all outside.

  134. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    NYC over the past 10 years did a lot of chasing away of staple restaurants that were there for nearly half a century. They consistently jacked up rent and bled them for all they were worth until they shut up shop. Now…the rents going to come crashing down and those places are gone for good.

  135. 3b says:

    BRT St. Paddy’s Day was probably his best day of the year, and he would get a lot of people from surrounding towns on that day.

  136. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Your company is dying. When you start leaving nyc market in search of lower prices, you are slowly dying, not growing.

    Yes, nyc is changing, it’s washing out old businesses and replacing them with Apple and Facebook. Tech is moving in hard. Don’t kid yourself. You are old, so of course you hate the city, but the young people of tomorrow don’t. They are going to make the city theirs, adapted to their generation. You just don’t get it, and I’m not saying that in a mean way. I’m trying to get you to realize that the city is not dying, it’s changing. It has done this how many times in your lifetime, and you think this time is different? That it will die and be left to nothing? Get out of here, that is the most important real estate in America.

    3b says:
    August 17, 2020 at 1:48 pm
    Truth Before the pandemic companies had been geographically dispersing, including my own despite what one person refuses to acknowledge. And a big part of this was due to cost. My team before the pandemic was in the process of being split between 5 locations. Only one was going to be in NYC. As well we were already working 2days a week from home, and we are going to at least 3. It’s never going back to what it was before the pandemic, because it was already changing; those of us who actually work in corporate America understand that. The pandemic accelerated the process.

  137. Juice Box says:

    A Restaurant by me is going all out on the parking lot dining, it’s just down the road from the Governor’s house so they are doing their best to social distance outside.

    Trucked in Sand and setup a “beach” with live music several nights a week, pictures are here.

    https://www.facebook.com/BirravinoRedBank

  138. 3b says:

    BRT: You are right, NYC has been pricing itself into oblivion, a lot of great restaurants shuttered, including my favorite unauthentic pay by the pound Chinese place Ho Yips. It had been there for years!! Plus the cost of construction, the regulations etc, and companies started to look for alternatives. Geographic dispersion and WFH will continue and accelerate.

  139. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Bled them? I wouldn’t say that. The market is what the market is. It also won’t come crashing down. It will be a good time to buy as you will have limited competition. Waiting for a big drop, no way, too much demand to support if prices fall hard. Investors will swoop in with the quickness in this low rate environment. It is a buyers market and some people are getting lucky finding a scared soul who is desperate to sell at a big loss, but that’s not the norm, nor will it ever be.

    Blue Ribbon Teacher says:
    August 17, 2020 at 2:27 pm
    NYC over the past 10 years did a lot of chasing away of staple restaurants that were there for nearly half a century. They consistently jacked up rent and bled them for all they were worth until they shut up shop. Now…the rents going to come crashing down and those places are gone for good.

  140. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    Yes, bled them. And it’s short sighted. Chasing out business that paid rent dating back to 1950 to try to make some extra money….and now they are wishing they didn’t.

  141. 3b says:

    Pumps: My company is dying??!! Too funny!

  142. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Wrong. There was a lot of people making big money. The prices reflected that. What you leave out is the fact that the city became much taller. They added a ton of inventory. Let the market take time to absorb it. Isn’t this what you want? Stable prices? Stop acting like the sky is falling. Life finds a way.

    Go find an opportunity that has presented itself during this period of market adjustment and take advantage of. You can make money too.

    3b says:
    August 17, 2020 at 2:34 pm
    BRT: You are right, NYC has been pricing itself into oblivion, a lot of great restaurants shuttered, including my favorite unauthentic pay by the pound Chinese place Ho Yips. It had been there for years!! Plus the cost of construction, the regulations etc, and companies started to look for alternatives. Geographic dispersion and WFH will continue and accelerate.

  143. 3b says:

    Juice: Wow they went all out. Sounds fun!

  144. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Moving your company’s presence out of nyc is usually not a good sign. All companies have a life cycle. Maybe it’s time to open your eyes.

    3b says:
    August 17, 2020 at 2:39 pm
    Pumps: My company is dying??!! Too funny!

  145. 3b says:

    BRT And 13,000 vacant apartments in Manhattan and rising!

  146. The Great Pumpkin says:

    That’s how it works. It’s not bleeding them, it’s what the market is. Market will adjust if they charge too much.

    Blue Ribbon Teacher says:
    August 17, 2020 at 2:38 pm
    Yes, bled them. And it’s short sighted. Chasing out business that paid rent dating back to 1950 to try to make some extra money….and now they are wishing they didn’t.

  147. 3b says:

    Pumps: Did I say the entire company left. No I did not. Reading comprehension. Maybe you need to stick to making lesson plans.

  148. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Fear monger. 13,000 in a city of 9 million people. Just stop.

    Miami overbuilt how many condos? Do you think Miami will die? Now why would you think NYC would.

    3b says:
    August 17, 2020 at 2:42 pm
    BRT And 13,000 vacant apartments in Manhattan and rising!

  149. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Why are they there? Those dumbasses could WFH and save so much money. Maybe you can get a promotion by telling them to get rid of that office. Go get em, tiger.

    3b says:
    August 17, 2020 at 2:44 pm
    Pumps: Did I say the entire company left. No I did not. Reading comprehension. Maybe you need to stick to making lesson plans.

  150. Juice Box says:

    One of the “renters” in Lavallette yesterday was there all summer with their kids, dropped some coin to do that. The owner of the house was encouraging people to make offers on the house. It was not raised or anything just refreshed a bit after Sandy wiped it out.

  151. 3b says:

    Pumps: the 13,000 is a record dumb ass as you say. And seriously a little self awareness on your part, calling people names because you can’t handle the truth, and after you lied last week and were called out by Grim. You really should be ashamed of yourself.

  152. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    You’re right, I guess they just shut up shop in a red hot economy voluntarily.

  153. The Great Pumpkin says:

    For the last time, I didn’t do that. I was set up by one of you fools. Over the years I always thought it was EXPAT, but now I have no idea which one of you are doing it. It’s still happening and he has passed.

    I have no shame posting under my handle, I have no need to play those childish games.

    And it’s 13,000 in middle of pandemic. You think they won’t eventually go? Come on, now!

  154. Fast Eddie says:

    NYC is a mess. De Blah Blah says 22,000 to be laid off by October. I had no idea NYC workers didn’t pay into their health plan at all. What a scam most public sector jobs are.

  155. 3b says:

    Pumps: A poster last week went into the steps involved for any one us to take in order to do what you accuse us of, and while anything is possible , it is improbable that any of us did that. And in the event someone did, it was certainly not some giant conspiracy that we were all in on. As far as I am concerned it was you and you were busted.

  156. 3b says:

    Fast: I did not know that either! Wow! Free health care!

  157. ExEssex says:

    In July, there were a record 13,117 vacant apartments across Manhattan, according to a report by Douglas Elliman and Miller Samuel Real Estate Appraisers & Consultants. A year ago, that number was a 5,912. Also, new lease signings fell by about 23%, resulting in a drop in rental prices.

    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-york-city-is-dead-forever-according-to-one-lifelong-new-yorker-2020-08-16

  158. ExEssex says:

    3:21 yeah, only you and your paper pushing cubicle dwelling existence –
    Only YOU are contributing to mankind….hehehe

  159. The Great Pumpkin says:

    3b,

    Think it was me, what can I do. I have never had a problem with essex, why would I try to do that to him?

  160. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Market watch is the worse. You should see how often they post articles about the stock market busting. Glad I never listened to the crap.

    Nyc is dead forever…what did some developer pay to put this crap out, hoping to buy some deals?

    ExEssex says:
    August 17, 2020 at 3:30 pm
    In July, there were a record 13,117 vacant apartments across Manhattan, according to a report by Douglas Elliman and Miller Samuel Real Estate Appraisers & Consultants. A year ago, that number was a 5,912. Also, new lease signings fell by about 23%, resulting in a drop in rental prices.

    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-york-city-is-dead-forever-according-to-one-lifelong-new-yorker-2020-08-16

  161. Bystander says:

    NYC-is-dead-forever, heres-why

    https://jamesaltucher.com/blog/nyc-is-dead-forever-heres-why/

    I love NYC. When I first moved to NYC, it was a dream come true. Every corner was like a theater production happening right in front of me. So much personality, so many stories.

    Every subculture I loved was in NYC. I could play chess all day and night. I could go to comedy clubs. I could start any type of business. I could meet people. I had family, friends, opportunities. No matter what happened to me, NYC was a net I could fall back on and bounce back up.

    Now it’s completely dead.

    “But NYC always always bounces back.” No. Not this time.

    “But NYC is the center of the financial universe. Opportunities will flourish here again.” Not this time.

    “NYC has experienced worse.” No it hasn’t.

    A Facebook group formed a few weeks ago that was for people who were planning a move and wanted others to talk to and ask advice from. Within two or three days it had about 10,000 members.

    Every day I see more and more posts, “I’ve been in NYC forever but I guess this time I have to say goodbye.” Every single day I see those posts. I’ve been screenshotting them for my scrapbook.

    Three of the most important reasons to move to NYC:

    Business opportunities
    Culture
    Food
    And, of course, friends. But if everything I say below is even 1/10 of what I think, then there won’t be as many opportunities to make friends.

    A) BUSINESS
    Midtown Manhattan, the center of business in NYC, is empty. Even though people can go back to work, famous office buildings like the Time-Life skyscraper are still 90% empty. Businesses have realized that they don’t need their employees at the office.

    In fact, they’ve realized they are even more productive with everyone at home. The Time-Life Building can handle 8,000 workers. Now it maybe has 500 workers back.

  162. 3b says:

    According to a report by Douglas Elliman Real Estate. Reading comprehension.

  163. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I was talking about the article. The one bystander reposted above.

    Using an author that doesn’t live in NYC (lives in Miami, I think I read) to quote headlines that claim “nyc is dead.” What a bunch of clowns. Yet, people eat it up. This guy making money off the clicks.

    3b says:
    August 17, 2020 at 3:41 pm
    According to a report by Douglas Elliman Real Estate. Reading comprehension.

  164. The Great Pumpkin says:

    How does one come to these conclusions?

    Let’s see these businesses in 2 years come back with that same nonsense. Talk about making early conclusions. Yes, it’s final, WFH is more productive than offices. These companies are going to learn the hard way. When your company has lost its identity, culture, and drive, don’t cry.

    WFH slowly sucks the life out of a company.

    “In fact, they’ve realized they are even more productive with everyone at home. The Time-Life Building can handle 8,000 workers. Now it maybe has 500 workers back.”

  165. 3b says:

    Pumps: I stand corrected. However, in the article he says he recently moved to Miami, and had lived in NYC for years. You on the other hand have never lived or worked in NYC.

  166. Phoenix says:

    “WFH slowly sucks the life out of a company.”

    Tell that to the teachers that are striking, don’t want to work, yet demand to be paid.

  167. Phoenix says:

    NYC is going to flood more and more every year so there’s that.

  168. Fast Eddie says:

    Essex,

    What I do is rather unique and basically one of two major companies globally that do what we do. We have 75% of the market. It’s very complex, unlimited learning and two promotions and two raises in 6 years have proven my value. Go do what you do best… smoke a joint, admire your wife’s efforts and the fact that she supports you when you sadly can’t support yourself.

  169. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Don’t you realize this guy has an agenda? I don’t know if it’s for clicks, but it’s something. You don’t write an opinion piece trying to scare people out of the city like this without an agenda. Guy throws out a ton of bs opinion..

    Best part, he is trying to talk about nyc as if he still lives there. Wtf?! Maybe he regrets moving and writes bs like this to convince himself that he made the right choice. I moved because NYC is dying, and then I wrote a blog about how nyc is dying. The sky is falling, run!!

    3b says:
    August 17, 2020 at 3:52 pm
    Pumps: I stand corrected. However, in the article he says he recently moved to Miami, and had lived in NYC for years. You on the other hand have never lived or worked in NYC.

  170. Phoenix says:

    When money is not circulating it’s coagulating. You then get clots and die.

  171. Bystander says:

    3b,

    Imagine the (now known) power comes with virus hysteria. You can now scare people out of rich, populated cities, push consumer demand for numerous products, and get millions of eyes on your forms of media. You get the added bonus of US political instability if a foreign power. Only a dimwitted fool thinks COVID will be the last scare. Go back to Manhattan and prepare for another round in near future. People are scarred already.

  172. Phoenix says:

    “two raises in 6 years have proven my value.”

    Jeez, that’s nuthin’
    I get a raise every year.

    Of course I pay more for my benefits each year, and there is inflation so I make less and less every year.
    But I get a raise…

  173. Fast Eddie says:

    Phoenix,

    Correction, raise and bonus every year.

  174. Phoenix says:

    If you think Covid is bad just wait till some guy(or Karen) creates a pathogen with CRISPR.

    Welcome to the future..

  175. Phoenix says:

    Eddie,
    Never doubted your value…

  176. 3b says:

    Found an old pay stub from the mid 90s when I worked at GS. My cost was under 27.00 per paycheck and that was for full family coverage and the benefits were excellent! And no co pays.

  177. The Great Pumpkin says:

    They will be overly prepared now for another pandemic. You know how this works.

    Listen, if you think NYC is going to die, what about the rest of the world. You think this world can survive with 7 billion people without cities? That’s f’ing crazy. It’s impossible. You think Tokyo is going to die? Toronto? Vancouver? Hong Kong? Beijing?

    This is crazy talk. Yes, humans are all of a sudden going to abandon cities. That’s feasible.

  178. 3b says:

    Bystander: Agreed. But I think the pandemic just accelerated the process.

  179. Juice Box says:

    Democrat enthusiasm for tonight DNC convention is looking pretty comatose.

    You know if the Neilsen ratings are bad Trump is going to go bananas on Twitter.

  180. ExEssex says:

    Eddie….tsk tsk tsk
    Sad little man.

  181. Bystander says:

    Its still coming, Nikki Haley VP…Dumpy’s big ratings bonanza. Mark it down. It will be Sept surprise.

  182. youtube.com says:

    This is the right blog for anybody who hopes to find out about this
    topic. You know a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I really will need to…HaHa).

    You certainly put a new spin on a topic that has been written about for years.
    Great stuff, just wonderful!

  183. A Home Buyer says:

    Crispr Kricken for 2020!

  184. homeboken says:

    By – I can see the logic in swapping out Pence for Haley. Mostly has a defensive position to the POC that is K. Harris.

    Are you implying that it is some sort of gimmick move, if it happens? To me, it doesn’t seem that important. For example, I could care less if Biden dropped Harris and named Warren, Tulsi or Bloomberg as VP. It’s the VP, who cares? I vote for the President – I have never in my 7 previous POTUS elections cared one iota about the VP pick.

  185. Phoenix says:

    “They will be overly prepared now for another pandemic.”

    No money for that.

    Too much to spend taking care of the morbidly obese Karen’s who want “more cheese.”

  186. Phoenix says:

    I still declare Trump will be the winner.

    It’s just my guess, but America has not learned it’s lesson like a petulant child. The boomers put these 2 muppets up against each other.

    Buy stock in Orville Redenbacher and Remington.

  187. The Great Pumpkin says:

    “What we have here in today’s “Conversation” is a failure to communicate. It pits the country mouse against the city mouse. As a small-town boy and big-city retiree, I can tell you there is much to admire in both places. I’ve been high in the Rockies and on the rock-bound coast of Maine and their beauty seems unmatched. I confess I’m often blown away by the wide open spaces of the West. But — aah — to stroll the Via Veneto in Rome or to listen to the Strauss music in Vienna! Or to be caught in the bustle of NYC or Toronto! These, too, are magical. Can’t find a jazz club in rural America like you can in Montreal or Denver. Me? I love taking in an afternoon ballgame in a big city in summer. There are some great small city museums, but where are you going to find treasures like the Smithsonian? We need both the city and the country, people. Both are good for our spirit. Because we are all human.”

  188. ExEssex says:

    Distance learning. Okaaaay.
    I get Pumpkins aversion to it.
    Just a strange world we find ourselves in.
    As for the rewards of teaching? It’s not a bad
    way to make a living. Not everyone is a superstar.
    Not everyone has skills that demand top
    Dollar. But hey what do I know?

  189. 3b says:

    Homeboken: I would say this time around VP is critically important.

  190. NYCEmploymentHealthNoPanacea says:

    About NYC Employee health benefits, the free plan has no Prescription coverage, is an Empire BCBS Hospitalization only and an Independent Major Medical where you pay first and send your receipt and the itemized bill in and they will send you reimbursement based on their schedule 20-40% of what you pay. They offer cafeteria plans with other well know providers and prescription coverage, but you pay for it.

    The pension is just like the NJ one where you pay until 63, a percentage of salary based on income. Bloomberg got rid of the old system. The one advantage they have is that their Deferred Comp Plan has a 401k & 457b with no matching, but during the probationary time or if you are allowed not to sign up for the pension once permanent – if you deferred more than 7.5% you can activate “in lieu of FICA” so no Social Security contribution will be taken out – but you don’t get credit either. So if you are a high earner you can deferred double the usual amount (38k under 50, 50k over 50)

  191. NYCEmploymentHealthNoPanacea says:

    Grim release

  192. The Great Pumpkin says:

    🇵🇱🇱🇹 #OnThisDay in 1629, 391 years ago, Jan III Sobieski, the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, was born.

    Sobieski’s 22-year reign marked a period of the Commonwealth’s stabilization, much needed after the turmoil of previous conflicts. Popular among his subjects, he was an able military leader, most famous for his victory over the Turks at the Battle of Vienna in 1683. The defeated Ottomans named Sobieski the “Lion of Lechistan”, and the Pope hailed him as the saviour of Western Christendom.

  193. The Great Pumpkin says:

    “Exactly 100 years ago, the Poles defeated the Bolsheviks in the Battle of Warsaw, thanks to which they saved Europe from the yoke of the communist revolution. It was the eighteenth most important battle that decided the fate of the world according to Edgar Vincent D’Abernon’s list.

    The Polish Army, despite the smaller number of soldiers, stopped the Bolshevik attack on Warsaw. Great #Victoria1920 was possible thanks to the extraordinary solidarity of Polish society. Poles saved Europe from the wave of communism.”

  194. PumpkinNeedstoSpanktheMonkey WifeyNotGivingHimLove says:

    Exactly 1 minute ago.

    Vomitus Pumpkinatis reach an unheard level of internet annoyance as he tries to teach the horrible History he teaches to his “students” aka prisoners at the Camden Institute for the Criminally Stupid

  195. PumpkinNeedstoSpanktheMonkey WifeyNotGivingHimLove says:

    Where Pumpkin’s Father has a wing name after him.

  196. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Why so sad? Pro-commie?

    PumpkinNeedstoSpanktheMonkey WifeyNotGivingHimLove says:
    August 17, 2020 at 8:29 pm
    Exactly 1 minute ago.

    Vomitus Pumpkinatis reach an unheard level of internet annoyance as he tries to teach the horrible History he teaches to his “students” aka prisoners at the Camden Institute for the Criminally Stupid

  197. Juice box says:

    Breaking point for some parents now with schoools being closed this fall.

    https://apple.news/A-ZlzQ7VLTc-aK-eSniF3ng

  198. Juice Box says:

    DNC convention is a yawn fest, only 84,000 watching the live stream on YouTube.

  199. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    The NJEA just sent me a mask that says NJEA all over it. Not bad for $700.

  200. Phoenix says:

    Eva Longoria? Who cares what she thinks? Her and a group of 3rd wave feminists cackling are not something I want to watch.
    I’ll put on Yellowstone instead.

  201. Phoenix says:

    Excuse my poor English on the last post.

  202. Phoenix says:

    Juice,
    Teachers want to stay home, drink and get paid.
    Parents want real education as they know their children will fall behind.

    I applaud the schools that try to open. Good luck fighting the Union.

  203. homeboken says:

    3b – I agree that the VP pick is very important for the DNC nominee. Biden has stated he will not seek a second term, so for the DNC, realize they have just announced Harris as the front-runner (only runner?) For the 2024 race. If Biden somehow wins, Harris will be the next DNC nominee.

    For Trump – I don’t know how the guy does it. I wouldn’t have the stomach to fight as long as he did. Especially when the alternative is retreating to my billionaire lifestyle of golf and the occasional book deal.

  204. ExEssex says:

    hE fIghtS cAuSe hE’s a pAtRiOt aNd hE tAlKs
    tO GoD nOw.

  205. Bystander says:

    Boken,

    Yes a gimmick. In modern times, no president has ever dumped their running mate during reelection. It would be absolute joke but I don’t put it beyond the Orange fool to boost his ratings.

  206. JCer says:

    On NYC, it is wounded and will take a very long time to recover…..

    Apartment demand is very weak, people want out. The one-two punch of the pandemic and the idiot mayor are having a serious effect on the city. Between all of the businesses going under because of bloated cost structures, which now means a lot of what people like about NYC is disappearing. Dirty streets, crime, poor services and a pandemic are what is going on today. The longer this goes on, the longer the recovery will take. It will recover at some point but it will take a while and I expect pain and pricing to go down quite a bit before this is over. This has happened in the city before, NYC and the greater eastern seaboard has such a huge population, strategic location, and absolutely tremendous economy that it will eventually recover.

    FYI I think Pumpkin teaches at the Orange Institute for the Criminally Stupid.

  207. Phoenix says:

    Wrecking Ball Whitman endorses Biden.

    Now that is one person I would not ask advise on what kind of ketchup to put on a hamburger.
    She would probably say use toilet cleaner, it’s safe.

  208. Tuesday Pardon says:

    Trump might pardon Snowden today. Expect Trump to trot him out as an example of the deep state against him. Looking afar, both are a win to Putin.

  209. juice box says:

    Don’t tell Gov Phil but somebody had a massive rave pool party.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/AFP/status/1295556905570414593

    How the heck is this even possible in that city Wuhan?

  210. Juice box says:

    I heard on the internets that Trump was going to pardon Obama today.

    There was no conspiracy, there is nobody out to get Trump, nobody broke any laws, nobody is going to jail and Hillary was robbed by Putin.

    Sigh! When Joe wins we get back to normal like Michelle Obama said last night, she looked depressed and might need spice up her life and take up gardenening on Martha’s Vineyard, it’s really nice this time of year.

  211. Juice Box says:

    Christine Todd Whitman? People were like who is this old white lady telling me to vote, thank god she was on for only 60 seconds.

    That was some snooze fest last night.

    Seriously where are the heavy hitters? I need George Clooney, Oprah, Cardigan B, Jennifer Lawrence and a Snoop Dog to tell me what to do first.

  212. Juice Box says:

    Interesting critique By Mulshine on how Gov Christie vs Gov Murphy are handling the structural deficit.

    “The pandemic might have been an act of God but the structural deficit is an act of man.“

    https://www.nj.com/opinion/2020/08/supreme-court-decision-on-bonding-confused-an-act-of-god-with-the-political-ambitions-of-a-man-mulshine.html

  213. Grim says:

    Politicization of the postal system is absurd.

  214. Phoenix says:

    Home,
    Nope. Would like to travel and see more of the west, Covid put dampers on everything.

    That guy was foolish. He just guaranteed her a win in court.

    You cannot take the bait.

  215. Juice Box says:

    Grim – Pelosi needs a cognitive test too. Senior Citizens haven’t relied on the post office for a mailed a social security check in a long time 63 million are direct deposit, only 1/2 million mailed for whatever reason.

    Even fact checkers had to call this one out.

    https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/aug/18/eva-longoria/most-people-receive-social-security-payments-elect/

  216. Juice Box says:

    Utah – Awesome skiing, been up and down most of the mountains there thankfully not in a rescue toboggan.

    Salt Lake? Meh, good for an afternoon drive while waiting for a late flight home, no need to get out of the car except maybe for lunch.

  217. ExEssex says:

    8:29 So is slowing down USPS service when most medicines are sent via US Mail.
    Maga much?

  218. Juice Box says:

    Comrade Bernie needs a brain scan too he said last night Trump deployed the Military against peaceful protesters.

  219. Juice Box says:

    EsEssex – Seniors go out and vote, you won’t get your check you won’t get your meds!!!

    All package delivery services are now slow now do to the amount of online ordering going on, it’s an easy talking point for the Dems to make shit up, layoff the Mary Jane.

  220. ExEssex says:

    Juice do you ever tire of simply parroting every retarded FOX news talking point.

    Signed. aN aLPha mAlE

  221. 3b says:

    Ex Essex Is not the truth important regardless of where it might be coming from, Fox, CNN wherever?

  222. Juice Box says:

    I was on a call just yesterday with our logistics people, delivery times have not improved for most carriers so we are now experimenting with some smaller regional delivery services.

    Example.

    https://pcfcorp.com/

    The Bezos conspiracy stuff is kinda funny he was doing this long before Trump was around the 100,000 truck order he mentions on his latest Amazon advertisement is proof. The sheer numbers of packages are through the roof for all carriers.

    My quiet neighborhood looks and sounds like Canal St during rush hour some mornings with all of the trucks running up and down the road dropping off packages. My office faces out the front of my home, I should setup a camera and do a time lapse.

  223. ExEssex says:

    I agree but you’ve already made your mind up haven’t you?

    Trump said the quiet part out loud. He admitted on camera
    without prompting as to why he was “slowing down” Mail-in voting.

  224. Juice Box says:

    I never watch the Cable news FOX or otherwise, you should know better, oh wait once in a while NPR so you got me there beta ray bill….

  225. Phoenix says:

    Juice
    In his defense the police look and dress just like the military today.

    The police he knows looked like Adam-12.

  226. 3b says:

    Jcer It will take a long time for NYC to come back, and they will have to compete with other areas saying we are NYC and that’s all that matters.

  227. TruthIsTheEnemy says:

    One point that I haven’t seen taken head on, how much of the lefts move to transform the voting process to mail in has to do with the dislocation out of cities?

    How many of the 500k that have left NYC are Biden voters? It’s no wonder they want mail in, even though we’ve been voting in person forever.

    But they are playing s very dangerous gameWith this, they are of course going to blame the mail problems for a loss if Biden doesn’t win. They tried to blame Russia with that hoax the last Time.

  228. Juice Box says:

    In his defense he is 78 years old and needs a brain scan. No worries for Bernie the Senate has the best heath care he will be off to Walter Reid once he needs a a few million in procedures.

  229. 3b says:

    Juice I stop on the cable channels occasionally. I don’t understand why Rachel is so angry. Chris Matthews the old dog was sent packing for sexual harassment, almost no media coverage there. And Martha Mc Callum on FOX is hot!! So worth a stop there occasionally

  230. eXeSsEx says:

    tRuMp is bEsT lEaDeR

    TrUmP foR t’urD TeRm

    tRuMp iS tRuE aLphA

  231. homeboken says:

    3b – I swing by The Five on Fox to see if Emily Compagno is on. She is quite easy on the eyes.

  232. ExEssex says:

    His electoral prospects are slim and he knows it:

    https://amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/614914/

    A normal political figure, understanding that his untenable position is a function of the coronavirus crisis and the resulting economic catastrophe, would attempt to improve his electoral position by addressing the multilayered crisis itself. But that’s not Trump’s style.

    Doing so, after all, would require acknowledging his failure to date. And although some part of Trump seems to understand that he’s losing, no part of him yet seems ready to recognize that the chief reason for that is failure on his part. Such reflection would be hard for even an emotionally healthy politician, as it would require taking some measure of responsibility for more than 150,000 American deaths.

    And so he sows doubt about the integrity of the election—

  233. Juice Box says:

    I have mentioned previously mail the ballots out if the census is any measure 54% might be returned, that would be slightly less than the voting age participation rate.

    There are approx 250 million eligible voters, and 157 million registered voters and 138 million Americans voted in 2016 only 58.1% of our voting-eligible population.

    The Democrats will have a voter turnout problem the old sleepy white guy might be worse than Hillary for voter turnout.

  234. Grim says:

    A month ago nobody cared about the USPS, which has been in decline for the past 20 years.

    Americans have destroyed the USPS, the Internet has destroyed the USPS.

  235. Grim says:

    This is not a political issue, technology, innovation, and changes in consumer behavior have made the USPS less relevant.

  236. ExEssex says:

    9:24 nobody cared? We’ll see Grim.

  237. 3b says:

    Home I will have to take a look, not familiar with her. The left cable channels need more hot anchors/correspondents.

  238. Grim says:

    Outrage over a trend that’s been in play for two decades.

    Shocked! Shocked to see.

    I know more about mail than you ever will.

  239. Juice Box says:

    LOL – Get your pitchforks and torches out for the USPS!

    If BLM cannot do it we gotta pivot and pivot hard, only 76 days until election dammit, bring back Congress! Open up the hearings, turn on those sorting machines!

    Turn those machines back on!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPZn4rbiB8g

  240. ExEssex says:

    Nonsense.

  241. 3b says:

    USPS should have eliminated Saturday delivery years ago.

  242. Juice Box says:

    Houston we have a problem.
    ““They’re saying that they’re not voting because people are not speaking to their issues and that they’re just not interested in those candidates,” said the researcher, Robert Paul Hartley, an assistant professor of social work. “But it’s not that they couldn’t be.””

    “People with low incomes who are eligible to vote are much less likely to do so in national elections than those with higher incomes, and are more often constrained from casting ballots by transportation issues, illness or other problems out of their control, according to a study released Tuesday by the Poor People’s Campaign.

    The study, by a Columbia University researcher, found that only 46 percent of potential voters with family incomes less than twice the federal poverty line voted in the 2016 presidential election, compared with 68 percent of those with family incomes above twice the poverty line.”

    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/11/us/politics/poorer-americans-have-much-lower-voting-rates-in-national-elections-than-the-nonpoor-a-study-finds.html

  243. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    As far as visiting/vacations go, I wiped NYC off my list after my Christmas visit. Aside from actually being indoors at the Jazz show, it was an awful experience all along the way. I’ve also crossed San Francisco and Chicago off my list of cities I’ve always wanted to visit.

  244. Grim says:

    Lol.

    My clients are companies like Optimum, Cox, AT&T, Verizon, Public Electric and Gas utilities, major eCommerce companies.

    Americans no longer want monthly paper statements, Americans no longer pay by check.

    Americans no longer EOBs delivered from their insurance companies.

    Autopay, ACH, Bill Pay, Online Statements.

    This has resulted in single piece first class (what most people think of as Mail) to be decimated.

    DocuSign has eliminated paper contracts.

    Product warrantee and registration is all online.

    Coupons and service recovery (complaints) is all done via online/email.

    Any recurring monthly payment is now automated.

    Americans don’t send Christmas cards, Birthday cards, or write letters. They send messages online and on Facebook.

    Traditional mail is now overwhelmed by junk mail. Why? Because Americans are subsidizing junk mail at what should be an alarming amount. This is now an absurd standoff, since of junk mailers actually needed to pay the true value of the service, they would opt to shut down instead. So we continue to subsidize junk mail, because otherwise the USPS wouldn’t exist.

    Online shopping Americans don’t choose USPS if given the option to have Fedex or UPS deliver their package.

    Single piece first class has been in precipitous decline for 20 years.

    Post offices don’t need sorting equipment, because they don’t process anywhere near the amount of outbound mail anymore. You don’t bother even turning on a sorter for a dozen pieces of mail. It’s absurd.

    I’ve helped more than a dozen companies close their traditional payment
    Processing lockbox operations by shifting statements and payments online. Most of these were operations of more than 100 employees, with mail being delivered by the truckload daily.

    None of that mail exists anymore. Nobody wants it.

  245. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Call me out, but don’t call out the idiots parroting the end of nyc.

    I said this the other day and it’s the truth. NYC is no different than the S&P 500. Economy hit a peak, and then fell off a cliff(virus). Anytime the economy takes this kind of hit after a peak, major changes happen in economy. Old dying businesses either die or change. Same thing happens to places like NYC.

    If you lack critical thinking skills, you parrot that the end is near. If you have critical thinking skills, you realize it’s an adjustment period that will lead to something stronger.

    It’s impossible for the NYC economy to die. Too many resources have been used to create a system that can house this many people. You lose NYC metro area, there is absolutely no way you can sustain this population in America. Not enough housing, infrastructure, or natural resources to make that kind of an adjustment.

    As the population rises, humans have no choice but to embrace cities as the place where the majority of the population will live. Over this century, I expect the major cities to attract more and more of the population. It’s just not sustainable to start spreading out into rural small towns. It’s a waste of resources and capital. It’s just not efficient.

    So realize this is a buying opportunity in nyc that doesn’t come around often, or cry the sky is falling.

    JCer says:
    August 18, 2020 at 12:42 am
    On NYC, it is wounded and will take a very long time to recover…..

    Apartment demand is very weak, people want out. The one-two punch of the pandemic and the idiot mayor are having a serious effect on the city. Between all of the businesses going under because of bloated cost structures, which now means a lot of what people like about NYC is disappearing. Dirty streets, crime, poor services and a pandemic are what is going on today. The longer this goes on, the longer the recovery will take. It will recover at some point but it will take a while and I expect pain and pricing to go down quite a bit before this is over. This has happened in the city before, NYC and the greater eastern seaboard has such a huge population, strategic location, and absolutely tremendous economy that it will eventually recover.

    FYI I think Pumpkin teaches at the Orange Institute for the Criminally Stupid.

  246. TruthIsTheEnemy says:

    Democratic politicians with phony voter rolls want it. And want us to throw away billions to perpetuate the scam.

  247. D-FENS says:

    @jamiedupree
    ·
    14m
    At a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, President Trump announces he will sign a full pardon for Susan B. Anthony, who was convicted of voting illegally

    Tuesday Pardon says:
    August 18, 2020 at 6:54 am
    Trump might pardon Snowden today. Expect Trump to trot him out as an example of the deep state against him. Looking afar, both are a win to Putin.

  248. Juice Box says:

    USPS is needed they average 181 million pieces delivered daily of just first class mail.

    The rest of the 1/2 billion daily deliveries is junk.

    They can operate better, start with tracking the trucks with GPS and putting in some more efficiencies.

  249. The Great Pumpkin says:

    To each and their own, the city is not for everyone.

    The people moving out of Sf are f’ing idiots. They are leaving one of the most beautiful areas to live in the world for places like Austin or Idaho. That might last. There is a reason this area became so expensive, it’s absolutely beautiful. Go look at the Stanford campus…absolutely beautiful. That town is absolutely beautiful. You can’t replicate it.

    Same thing with NYC. It’s absolutely beautiful. If you don’t think so, you take it for granted like the idiots leaving SF. They will realize in time they made a mistake. Once you get used to the lifestyle of the big city, it’s really really hard to go live in a rural area 3 hrs away from a major city. Not easy at all.

    Blue Ribbon Teacher says:
    August 18, 2020 at 9:41 am
    As far as visiting/vacations go, I wiped NYC off my list after my Christmas visit. Aside from actually being indoors at the Jazz show, it was an awful experience all along the way. I’ve also crossed San Francisco and Chicago off my list of cities I’ve always wanted to visit.

  250. Juice Box says:

    Nice troll Susan B. Anthony…

  251. The Great Pumpkin says:

    No way, it’s a 24/7 world we live in. Shutting it down for the weekend is not exactly a smart idea.

    3b says:
    August 18, 2020 at 9:30 am
    USPS should have eliminated Saturday delivery years ago.

  252. grim says:

    There are two types of first class mail.

    Single piece First Class – this is mail with a stamp.

    Commercial/Automated/Discounted First Class Mail – this is the bulk of first class mail.

    The second type still contains a significant amount of higher value junk mail, even though it’s not associated with mail classes that are typically used for junk.

    This is what people forget to include when they look at the overall percentage of junk.

    Americans errantly believe that the USPS predominantly handles single piece first class, they don’t associate the stack of mail that goes from the box to the trash every day as being “mail”.

  253. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Grim, if it gives an American a job, let’s just support it. I don’t want to see them without jobs or a purpose.

  254. Fast Eddie says:

    Essex,

    Awaiting your rebuttal to Grim’s response.

  255. 3b says:

    I collect the mail everyday the walk from mailbox to kitchen garbage can I go through it; most days it all ends up in the garbage can.

  256. grim says:

    Boomers are the last remaining demographic that actually write a paper check anymore.

    Working with companies like Lemonade, Sofi – millennials and later do not want paper mail, these companies do not offer paper mail options. Everything is online.

    Want more? Payments companies like PayPal have eliminated postal money orders almost completely. Remember those? The safe way to send money? That’s an entire postal line of business that doesn’t exist anymore. Disintermediated by innovation.

  257. zapaza19 says:

    And now for something completely different..

    How many of you with stock/401k portfolios have surpassed pre-Covid highs?

    I am 3% over my all-time high on my 401k. Haven’t touched my portfolio this year.

  258. Vornado says:

    I thought you were a capitalist. Sounds pro-Commie to me.

    The Great Pumpkin says:
    August 18, 2020 at 10:01 am
    Grim, if it gives an American a job, let’s just support it. I don’t want to see them without jobs or a purpose.

  259. Juice Box says:

    Zapaza19 – Passive investing controls about 1/2 the stock market right now $4.3 trillion in ETFs alone. The Robots do all the work, just sit back on the couch and watch the MSM and drink some beer at 9:30 AM when the markets open, who needs to work anymore?

  260. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    To each and their own, the city is not for everyone.

    The people moving out of Sf are f’ing idiots. They are leaving one of the most beautiful areas to live in the world for places like Austin or Idaho. That might last. There is a reason this area became so expensive, it’s absolutely beautiful. Go look at the Stanford campus…absolutely beautiful. That town is absolutely beautiful. You can’t replicate it.

    Same thing with NYC. It’s absolutely beautiful. If you don’t think so, you take it for granted like the idiots leaving SF. They will realize in time they made a mistake. Once you get used to the lifestyle of the big city, it’s really really hard to go live in a rural area 3 hrs away from a major city. Not easy at all.

    A beautiful view, line with drug addicts, needles, and defecation. The bad now outweighs the good.

  261. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I’m a commie because I want to give someone a job? Okay. Capitalism doesn’t have to be ruthless. It can have a heart. Sure as hell enough profits going around at the top.

  262. Fast Eddie says:

    Boomers are the last remaining demographic that actually write a paper check anymore.

    I still write checks. Some online payment, majority are still checks. I also still write emails… sometimes long ones. Yes, Slack, IM, texting are all there but can’t shake all the old habits. :)

  263. Juice Box says:

    What interesting about all that money in ETFs is what the “Big Short” Michael Burry was predicting in September of 2019 that ETFs were distorting asset prices and a sell off would cause another complete crash.

    It did not happen when the selloff came due to covid-19. I wonder how much more magic fairy dust the man behind the curtain is willing to toss onto this fire.

  264. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Blue,

    My wife and daughter love the city. This time last year, we went on a little get away to the city. High end hotel with rooftop pool. Family boat ride in Central Park. Take a walk on High Line park with a good dinner afterwards at the new Hudson Yards. I can’t wait for this virus to be over.

  265. Juice Box says:

    Wrote a check for my nephew the other day as a gift, been a year at least since I actually wrote one. The Bill Pay still mails checks to landscapers and other smaller vendors etc. I Zelle money once in a while too as there are no additional fees.

    Most payments in retail I tap to pay, don’t want to get the Wuhan Wheeze by touching the keys on the payment terminals, stores have stopped with the plastic bags over the terminals and most people have stopped wearing latex gloves too.

  266. JCer says:

    Grim no wants to admit it but mailings are dying, first companies outsourced their printing and mailing, then they started moving to e-delivery people have been very receptive of receiving less mail. Even print magazines are going digital, the cost advantage is massive.

    Now people have decided they want to do mail in voting and actually want the USPS to deliver volumes of mail reliably in a timely fashion? It is a ridiculous waste of resources, most people at a minimum are going to grocery stores how is voting any different? If anything I’d trust e-voting(using cryptographic methods we could ensure a single vote per registered voter and tamper proof voting record, logging of IP’s could be used to insure individuals are voting and ML coul dbe used) over the USPS as USPS although it does a decent job it has serious problems when volumes spike like around the holidays. Like most things cost effectiveness is important and operationally the planning and alignment assumes certain volumes, vote by mail blows all those assumptions out of the water. Regardless of what they do I’d expect any appreciable increase in mailing volumes would be problematic. Again investing money for a temporary spike in volume related to this election is a reckless use of funds into an entity that has lost relevance and will continue to be less relevant.

  267. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Doesn’t amazon and China (foreign shipping) live off the USPS? They couldn’t handle the load without them. Wasn’t trump blasting amazon for this?

    Also, people still send Christmas cards with a picture of their family.

    “Online shopping Americans don’t choose USPS if given the option to have Fedex or UPS deliver their package.”

  268. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    This whole USPS issue is stupid. When was the last time, on election day, you were in a big line? Trader Joes has a bigger line everyday.

  269. 3b says:

    I write maybe one or two checks every other month. I have been doing on line banking for years. Also PayPal and Apple Pay.

  270. Juice Box says:

    Speaking of print advertising. Some things just don’t die.

    I received a real printed phone book this week, it was like litter on my property sat there in a plastic bag through the rain storms. It did not make it into the house, right in the garbage as I was taking out the can last night.

  271. The Great Pumpkin says:

    For the anti USPS..

    Do you want an economy that is so efficient that only a few profit from it and millions are jobless? Efficiency is good to a point. When there are not enough jobs to go around, we have a problem. Would you rather just give these people money for nothing or give them a purpose by giving them a job?

  272. Fast Eddie says:

    Would you rather just give these people money for nothing or give them a purpose by giving them a job?

    Maybe they can apply for a job at a buggy whip company or at an ice cutter factory.

  273. AP says:

    JCer, “(using cryptographic methods we could ensure a single vote per registered voter and tamper proof voting record, logging of IP’s could be used to insure individuals are voting and ML coul dbe used) ”

    Challenges remain even if crypto can be used to verify identity, for example voting is supposed to be confidential and under this scheme you could potentially uncover who anyone voted for.

    It would also potentially make ballot harvesting easier, and other snags that make this unrealistic for the time being.

    Having said that, just last week the USPS filed a parent for an online voting scheme based on blockchain:

    https://nerdist.com/article/u-s-post-office-files-patent-for-blockchain-voting-system

  274. njtownhomer says:

    I guess not one of you have a friend working for USPS. I do

    They are working harder than ever. Last year (pre-covid) their load increased by 20% due to online shopping. Your favorite UPS and Amazon’s lazer shipping uses USPS since they are cost-efficient. If you were to pay them directly the prices would go high.

    The essential documentation (certified mails etc) still works on USPS. Passports and other documents are there too. Do you want to pay another agent more money to get these services.

    After covid, they became more essential. Your grandma and grandpa shopping online use more of USPS. Also pharma delivery runs on USPS. Move them to profit-based companies and voila.

    My friend tells me there are more catalogs coming now as more people still shop from home not using online. There is a age limit still wanted to see the paper in front of them and go thru the goods on a paper. Online is big and that is what we hear but honestly my catalog inflow is also confirming the trend.

    The USPS was always a debate, but too bad Trump made this worse. It needs reform but not reductions. BTW almost all mailman and trucks are GPS monitored. These days it is easy to do by linking to the phones anyways.

    For those preaching capitalism, look to FED, excessive money printing, debt-forgiven failing companies, airlines, cruiselines etc. USPS is quite behind in the list to reform.

  275. homeboken says:

    I travel to the west coast a half-dozen times per year – LAX, SFO, SEA, SAN, even home of the doctor killer plane Orange County.

    San Francisco is the strangest city I travel to. Absurdly opulent wealth within walking distance of the worst poverty in the country. The homelessness problem in SF is horrible and any person with a shred of morality will be disgusted at the conditions that are many of the SF streets. Drug needles, public defecation, public masturbation, the worst.

    Seattle is close on the disgusting streets level. LA would be third but it’s a lot easier to avoid the gross parts of LA.

  276. homeboken says:

    AP – Voting is supposed to be confidential? But yet we are mailing ballots and having voters sign their ballot with vote by mail? Nothing confidential about that.

    Interesting question though – Do voters have a legal expectation that their ballots are 100% confidential? Should they have that right to anonymity?

    I can see some arguing that the lack of privacy around voting could lead to voter suppression.

    If only there was a way to verify, on election day, that a voter was 1. of legal age and proper standing to vote and then 2. once verified, they vote behind some curtain or machine or drop their vote in a box. /sarcasm

  277. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Knocked it out of the park with this quote. Good write up, some of the people on this board are straight up ruthless.

    “For those preaching capitalism, look to FED, excessive money printing, debt-forgiven failing companies, airlines, cruiselines etc. USPS is quite behind in the list to reform.”

  278. Grim says:

    Who is anti-USPS?

    It’s the reality of technology making the mailing of physical documents no longer relevant.

    Other countries have shifted by moving other responsibilities to being delivered through their postal systems. For example, local tax payments, light banking, passport and visa services, other business related services, etc.

  279. Phoenix says:

    Bin Laden lit the fuse of America’s bomb and everything he wanted and predicted are gradually coming true.

  280. AP says:

    homeboken, I’m pretty sure the requirement for anonymity is enshrined in law, I have to imagine constitutional.

    No idea if mailed ballots are treated confidentially, I’ve only ever voted in person. I’ll look into this though.

  281. The Great Pumpkin says:

    ESP the d’ks advocating for firing teachers and getting rid of unions. Get a life, so miserable that you want to ruin other people’s lives. God forbid people have a decent job. God forbid a worker gets a pension and retires with dignity.

  282. Grim says:

    Why not allow the postal system to provide light banking services for the underbanked population? Many countries have shifted to a postal banking model for lower income folks. Low/minimal fees and penalties. Serving a societal need that private sector would not.

  283. Juice Box says:

    Republicans fear mail balloting will increase votes for Democrats. For example young people, low-income people, minorities, and those to the polls in reality vote in lower percentages historically.

    On the flip side senior citizens, who often skew GOP this time around would benefit, the Wuhan Wheeze has them fearing for their lives and well they should vote absentee.

    As Grim was saying young people do not use the mail system. They did not send in their Census either in any kind of record numbers.

    I predict even with mailed voter registration forms, applications the returned by mail to even register to vote from the disinterested will not increase much for the young people who joke online all day about the boomers being “removed” and other social justice online warfare that occupies their lives today. They just don’t care about those in power keeping it.

  284. AP says:

    If the USPS served coffee and had good internet connection it could probably beat Starbucks in some markets.

  285. Fast Eddie says:

    No idea if mailed ballots are treated confidentially

    Who opens the physical piece of paper and records the vote? How is it being recorded? If there’s no name attached to the vote, I’ll mail in a few million for Trump.

  286. Phoenix says:

    If you can walk into a grocery store, you can walk in and vote. No reason to change that at all, yet keep mail in for those that choose it.

    If Granny does not want to get on the senior citizen bus that treks her out to the voting booth she can do it by mail.

  287. 3b says:

    Fed excessive money printing has also inflated the stock and the housing market. But that’s Ok.

  288. Phoenix says:

    “If there’s no name attached to the vote, I’ll mail in a few million for Trump.”

    Kind of unethical..

  289. 3b says:

    Secretaries, legal assistants, clerks, the tech folks on the computer help desks at corporations, the in house mail room clerks, the receptionists and other lower paid people in the private sector, they all deserve unions too, and yet they don’t have them.

    Unions for all or for none.

  290. Phoenix says:

    How do you remove a boomer when the only choices you have to vote for are boomers ?

    the young people who joke online all day about the boomers being “removed”

    These guys should probably not even drive cars let alone run a country.

  291. Phoenix says:

    3b,

    That would be fair.

  292. A Home Buyer says:

    I only mailed in a million because I wasn’t sure they got the previous 999, 999.

    How do I know my vote got counted and wasn’t lost in the mail system?

    Last time I was mailed a package from NJ it went all the way to the west coast to travel 2 States north… and took 3 weeks.

  293. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Heroine is a hell of drug. You can’t help these people. They really should be locked up for their own good, but they just let them do what they want in the streets. They are walking zombies. It’s not a homeless problem, it’s a drug problem. West coast also has meth problems. Northeast has been pretty fortunate to not see the drug problem at the level of the west coast. We had a problem with the H, I lost a cousin with a child to it, but nowhere near the level of the rest of the country, esp the west coast.

    “San Francisco is the strangest city I travel to. Absurdly opulent wealth within walking distance of the worst poverty in the country. The homelessness problem in SF is horrible and any person with a shred of morality will be disgusted at the conditions that are many of the SF streets. Drug needles, public defecation, public masturbation, the worst.”

  294. A Home Buyer says:

    That was USPS btw…

  295. Fast Eddie says:

    Kind of unethical..

    The very reason why dems want mail in voting… to farm votes.

  296. Phoenix says:

    For example young people, low-income people, minorities, and those to the polls in reality vote in lower percentages historically.

    This is unfortunate because everyone should vote. Everyone.

    Even Pumpy deserves a vote.

  297. AP says:

    Winston Churchill:

    “My idea of it [democracy] is that the plain, humble, common man…goes to the poll at the appropriate time, [and] puts his cross on the ballot paper. [T]his man, or woman, should do this without fear, and without any form of intimidation or victimization. He marks his ballot paper in strict secrecy.”

    Looks like I was wrong in my assumption (as almost always) and voting confidentially is not in the constitution but on the state level:

    https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/08/11/voting-public-or-private-act-your-ballot-not-secret-you-think

  298. The Great Pumpkin says:

    You don’t think teachers fought for theirs?

    What’s stopping these people from forming their own? Every single one can stop working right now, but they don’t. They continue to fight each other in a race to the bottom. Wisen up, use capitalism to your favor by forming a huge bloc. Instead you fight each other for the scraps.

    3b says:
    August 18, 2020 at 11:42 am
    Secretaries, legal assistants, clerks, the tech folks on the computer help desks at corporations, the in house mail room clerks, the receptionists and other lower paid people in the private sector, they all deserve unions too, and yet they don’t have them.

    Unions for all or for none.

  299. Phoenix says:

    Which “heroine” are you talking about, teach?

    Kids in the class:

    Hahaahahaaahhhaaaa.

  300. Fast Eddie says:

    Heroine is a hell of drug.

    My heroine was Melissa and she certainly was addictive! She was my heroin!

  301. Juice Box says:

    For absentee they send two envelopes, which need to be opened by Granny the standard 85 year old hyperopic part time election official hired for the busy season.

    One “security envelope” the actual ballot goes in and another envelope into which the sealed ballot envelope is placed. The voter signature is the outside of the second envelope to certify he or she is a registered voter etc with details. The inner envelope is removed after signature is verified and sent to the pile to be counted. No worries it won’t vanish down Granny’s drawers or end up flushed during bathroom breaks, every vote is counted at least once or more.

  302. Phoenix says:

    BRT says teachers want to go back. Maybe his friends. Women like staying home.

    “American Federation of Teachers New Jersey (AFTNJ) president Donna Chiera said she’s seeing more and more teachers who say they need to stay home. In the past two weeks, she said, more than 300 teachers from Perth Amboy asked for remote accommodations while another 40 asked for accommodations in North Bergen.

    “We are telling staff members who do not have an ADA official status that if there is a medical condition and their doctor would say it is unsafe to go into school, that’s our first line of defense,” she said.”

    https://www.nj.com/education/2020/08/im-a-teacher-and-i-cant-go-back-to-the-classroom-what-are-my-options.html

  303. 3b says:

    That’s your answer quit? Maybe they don’t have a spouse with a big ass paycheck like you. Unions for all or for none.

  304. Phoenix says:

    If I have to vote by mail I will drop it off at my local PO to help them out.

  305. Juice Box says:

    Phoenix – Fireman Phil says to have your vote counted you have to vote by mail. If you show up at a polling place “at a to be announced location” as they won’t be everywhere it seems they will hand you a provisional ballot to be filled out. Those printed ballots normally are only counted way after the losers have conceded.

  306. Phoenix says:

    Thanks Juice,
    Learned something today.
    Never knew how they did it. But it looks at least as reasonably secure as a hackable booth is.

    Scummy is the fact that we can’t trust our people to do the right thing. America is a cesspool, and anyone who would commit voter fraud are no better than any other low lifes in America.

  307. Phoenix says:

    Juice,
    So be it. I will fill a ballot.

    All of this drama is to keep boomers alive. It’s so simple, wear a mask, wash your hands, social distance, and pull the lever. CLEAN your hands BEFORE removing the mask. Oh, and don’t choose the career of Anesthesiology or ENT as that increases your chances exponentially.

    But in America, you will have crazy Karens screaming in polling places throwing boxes of ballots around claiming their life is so terrible.

  308. Juice Box says:

    If everyone mailed in their ballots especially at the last minute there will be no winner announced on election night, Granny simply cannot count that fast.

    We may very well then be looking at weeks and weeks of paper ballot legal challenges all the way to the Supreme Court. The Florida hanging chads of 2000 will seem like nothing…

  309. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I’m simply saying that people have to get off their fat a$$ and do something about it, but they don’t. Instead they waste their energy complaining and trying to take down other workers that have what they don’t have.

    Tearing down other workers that have what you don’t have says a lot. Teachers fight hard for everything they have. Constantly have to fight against legions of people like you.

    3b says:
    August 18, 2020 at 11:57 am
    That’s your answer quit? Maybe they don’t have a spouse with a big ass paycheck like you. Unions for all or for none.

  310. Juice Box says:

    Pumpkin – you fail to understand, once you go in the Skinner Box it is extremely difficult to coax you out only starvation may work to get you out of the box and go and hunt for food.

  311. Juice Box says:

    re: “don’t choose the career of Anesthesiology or ENT”

    So you can get the good stuff, there is an upside to having Propofol on hand.

  312. Phoenix says:

    Juice,
    Why would you choose that of all things?

  313. The Great Pumpkin says:

    If an immigrant that doesn’t even speak the language can come here and make something of himself, why can’t anyone?

    I don’t care who you are, you are good at something. Find what it is, and don’t sell yourself short. If you think you are underpaid, then you prob are. Either continue to benefit someone else for the rest of your life, or man up, and stop being scared to go get it.

    It’s never too late, but time is of the essence.

  314. Juice Box says:

    Supposedly Michael Jackson used it nightly for sleep months on end, perhaps so he no longer had nightmares. I have no idea about what does what anyway when it comes to pharma I am a simple troll farming to get my kicks been at it since the early days of the bulletin board systems over dial up modems on FIDO NET using an Apple II.

  315. AP says:

    FIDO NET? That’s a name I haven’t heard in a a while. Did you see that great documentary about the BBS era that came out a few years ago? Really great.

    http://www.bbsdocumentary.com/

    It’s available for free on YouTube.

  316. ExEssex says:

    11:33

    Here:

    https://ips-dc.org/how-congress-manufactured-a-postal-crisis-and-how-to-fix-it/

    2006, Congress passed a law that imposed extraordinary costs on the U.S. Postal Service. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) required the USPS to create a $72 billion fund to pay for the cost of its post-retirement health care costs, 75 years into the future. This burden applies to no other federal agency or private corporation.

    If the costs of this retiree health care mandate were removed from the USPS financial statements, the Post Office would have reported operating profits in each of the last six years. This extraordinary mandate created a financial “crisis” that has been used to justify harmful service cuts and even calls for postal privatization. Additional cuts in service and privatization would be devastating for millions of postal workers and customers.

  317. Phoenix says:

    The NJ Teachers Accountability and Enhancement Act (NJEA) required the towns of NJ to create a $300 billion fund to pay for the cost of its post-retirement health care costs, 75 years into the future. This burden applies to no other federal agency or private corporation.

    F u Pay me.

  318. 3b says:

    So pumps you are happy with your pay and benefits, otherwise you would have left. Right? Unions for all or for no one.

  319. 3b says:

    AOC is allotted one minute to speak tonight at the convention. I guess they have to keep the idiot from making a fool of herself and causing damage.

  320. QuietVomitus Pumpkinatus says:

    ExEssex,

    Now you see why a lot of interest not from the health insurance industry don’t want Medicare For All. M4A in effect USPS is in good shape, so is every State’s finances, as well as old Blue Chip Firms’ related to pension and retiree benefits.

    When you look at the real problems we have as a society, we have doozies but way many are amplifications of perceived problems that aid and abet a privatization/corporatist parasite agenda.

    Frankly what I find disgusting is that this is the crowd that talks about free markets and unrestrained capitalism. But god forbid they actually fight a real fight and go toe to toe with Japanese, German, Chinese and other aggressive global manufacturers and show their real talents and abilities, but they can’t do that because they can’t walk the walk as they all really s**k. Instead they use their clout to go take the easy fruits of government contracts and cajole privatization, which is what the mob use to do, but they use suits and lawyers to buy off access.

    ExEssex wrote,
    If the costs of this retiree health care mandate were removed from the USPS financial statements, the Post Office would have reported operating profits in each of the last six years. This extraordinary mandate created a financial “crisis” that has been used to justify harmful service cuts and even calls for postal privatization. Additional cuts in service and privatization would be devastating for millions of postal workers and customers.

  321. Juice Box says:

    As always there is more to the story, the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund was created and transferred to the Treasury under that legislation in 2006.

    Translation there is a file cabinet in Virginia stuffed with bonafied IOUs, the kind of that I gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.

    Here is an example, the file cabinet has fancy locks too.

    https://moneymorning.com/2017/03/31/the-social-security-trust-fund-is-just-a-stack-of-ious-in-a-west-virginia-filing-cabinet/

  322. Juice Box says:

    3b – fool and damage will be done 60 seconds is more than enough time.

  323. 3b says:

    Juice: True. She is an arrogant ill informed little twit.

  324. Juice Box says:

    3b – I have met the Irishman she replaced took long enough they have had the votes since at least 1980 to take over the congressional district.

    There is a chance Albany will send her off soon enough with the census and redistricting , Cuomo ain’t one for playing nice.

  325. Phoenix says:

    Juice,
    4th waves are very good with social media. It’s their arena.

    Boomers on the other hand need help with it.

  326. AP says:

    Re USPS I’ve read all the articles posted and it seems to be both conditions are true.

    On one hand, there’s a shift from physical mail that started in the early aughts and continues to today, which can fairly be described by some as “an outdated business model”.

    On the other one, this 2006 bill seems to be extremely counterproductive and arguably the major contributor to this crisis.

    The points made above about healthcare costs is correct. Seems that our inability to resonce that issue causes cascading problems throughout the system.

  327. Phoenix says:

    Step into a hospital with Covid and get admitted.
    I can guarantee you the USPS will be sending you plenty of mail in the form of bills as you will not be asking for that to be sent to you electronically.

    No insurance, lost your job? Expect more mail from the USPS in the form of a sheriff sale notice.

    America is the place where you can save for a lifetime and lose it all in 1 day. The system is designed that way, it’s full of parasites and opportunists.

    And those that game the system.

    Just wait, the best is yet to come. Like Mad Max style.

  328. Juice box says:

    NYC is dead.

    Just eight percent of employees have returned to the office as of mid-August, a survey by The Partnership for New York City found. That is 20 percent below the 10 percent projections made in late May.

  329. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    BRT,

    Sorry, but you are now disqualified regarding your complaint of the Ivies not admitting Asians, as you have outed yourself as Asian so you are not a neutral party on that issue.

    Wrong, I’m both Asian and White, so I have even twice the amount of conflict of interest on this issue.

  330. Phoenix says:

    What comes next?
    You’ve been freed
    Do you know how hard it is to lead?
    You’re on your own
    Awesome, wow!
    Do you have a clue what happens now?
    Oceans rise
    Empires fall
    It’s much harder when it’s all your call
    All alone, across the sea
    When your people say they hate you
    Don’t come crawling back to me
    Da da da dat da dat da da da ya da
    Da da dat da da ya da!
    You’re on your own

  331. 3b says:

    Juice: Yes. Mr. Joe Crowley, he thought he would have the seat forever. Most elections he never even campaigned. Cuomo seems to get what he wants. With AOC instead of the crazy old uncle, she is the psycho daughter. She needs to be sent away.

  332. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    Phoenix, in July, at graduation ceremonies, every single teacher present (maybe it was a bad sample as we were all in person) wanted to go back. Scanning the board minutes up until then, I saw a grand total of 2 requests for leave of absence. They refuse to ID the people by name on board minutes now and have employee numbers.

    Although, I predicted mid July that it would change as it became a political issue once President Trump said the schools need to open (nevermind Fauci and numerous other health professional organizations both said this as well). The requests to stay at home came as soon as Murphy catered to Elizabeth and said districts can go all remote. Right now, my district has 70 people total requesting a leave of absence or some sort of accomodations. My district is allowing people to use their FMLA sick days and that’s it. They will be replaced the entire year by a leave replacement teacher

    There were a number of districts, who (like my residential town) have a superintendent that is incompetent and lazy. He bailed as soon as he was given the green light (same day) despite a majority of parents intending to opt for in person learning. This creates a domino effect as many teachers who are parents now are put in the situation where their kids must be home. So, naturally, other districts have fallen off. I have to say, my superintendent seems determined to make in person happen and hopefully, we go a full month without any issues and it won’t be long before people start screaming to send their kids back.

    I don’t have numbers of specific age/gender on this issue in district. But what I can say is this, 100% of the science department is returning. The entire history department (aside from one) is requesting leave. I find that statistically impossible that is a coincidence.

  333. 3b says:

    Juice: Drove by my train station earlier and not one car in the lot. No one wants to go back. Even without the pandemic it was a crappy commute with broken down trains, as well as dirty and smelly as well as being packed.

  334. Fast Eddie says:

    No one wants to go back.

    I do. I can’t wait to get back to the office. Omg, I hate WFH all the time. Some of time, okay… all of the time? No. G0d no.

  335. Phoenix says:

    BRT,
    Males vs female breakdown?
    What is your observation?

  336. Phoenix says:

    Eddie,
    For obvious reasons I never left. But I can deal with it as it is normal for me.

    If I wanted a pencil pusher job I would have had one years ago.

  337. Fast Eddie says:

    Phoenix,

    You lost me. Explain.

  338. 3b says:

    Fast: You are going to be waiting quite a while it looks like., Me I like not having to do the crappy commute into lower Manhattan. Bang the work out and get it done. It’s the not having concerts and festivals and in door dining that’s driving me crazy! We were already at 2days a week and are going to 3, perhaps more.
    As for engagement our team was already geographically split,so whether I am home or office makes no difference. The young people in my office sit with their headphones on all day. They don’t appear to want to engage. The ones with kids, out the door at 5:00, which is understandable. So the office engagement buzz thing was on the wane anyhow.

  339. Phoenix says:

    List of N.J. districts planning to reopen school year remotely expands.

    Yeah, they wanna go back. It’s about the mommies. Mommy teachers and mommy parents and fearless mommies vs fearful mommies vs irrational mommies.
    Good luck with that.

    https://www.nj.com/education/2020/08/list-of-nj-districts-planning-to-reopen-school-year-remotely-expands.html

  340. Phoenix says:

    My job is hands on. So no “virtual” for me.
    Your job you can do both, so you have an option, and you find that being there is helpful for you.
    I don’t prefer virtual anyway.

  341. Fast Eddie says:

    Phoenix, what is your line of work again?

  342. Phoenix says:

    “The young people in my office sit with their headphones on all day. They don’t appear to want to engage.”

    They are engaged, you are just not in their private Instagram feed. You are too old to engage.

  343. Phoenix says:

    I’m in healthcare.

  344. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    Phoenix, I don’t have that information at any level. I can say this, my department is about 50/50 and we are all going in. I would be willing to bet that it skews more towards the female end as males generally care less.

    Basically, I think this boils down to more of a do you have kids or don’t you have kids in school issue for many.

  345. SomeOne says:

    Blue Ribbon Teacher,

    Wrong, I’m both Asian and White, so I have even twice the amount of conflict of interest on this issue.

    Would you agree that some of the Asian admissions lost go to the White students, or is your concern that some go to AA?

    Here is a news item of relevance (coverage of a recent PNAS paper; emphasis in the text mine):
    https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/18/health/black-babies-mortality-rate-doctors-study-wellness-scli-intl/index.html

    Black newborn babies in the United States are more likely to survive childbirth if they are cared for by Black doctors, but three times more likely to die when looked after by White doctors, a study has found.

    By contrast, the mortality rate for White babies was largely unaffected by the doctor’s race.

  346. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    I’ve said this before but I think this extended virtual school BS is a crime to education. There will be serious gaps in the majority of kids learning that are going to follow them forever. I’ve only seen one district come up with a plan to assess their kids at the beginning of school to determine if they actually learned what they should have. Every other district is planning on ignoring it. The younger kids are going to have major reading, spelling, and arithmetic issues. The older kids are going to have shoddy algebraic skills (which was already exploding with all these BS experimental math programs). And then, when they get to me in 3-10 years, I’ll be shaking my head.

    As a parent, my wife and I had to make sure our kids met our personal expectations, which were far beyond what a normal school year would even require. I don’t expect my kid’s progress to be hindered but I do expect many others.

  347. AP says:

    Re school reopening. I was in a 3 plus hours BOE meeting last night, listening in as dozens of parent teachers and administrators made their case.

    About 70 percent of parents in my town want the “hybrid” model and 70 percent of teachers want all remote.

    I heard a councilor who got denied work from home despite having a doctor’s note. Why does a councilor have to be in person?

    Another guy’s is a teacher in the district for 16 years, talking about his pre-existing conditions etc.

    The superintendent was clearly scared to death of the powerful parents and just threw the teachers under the bus, said that any who retire or take leave will be replace without a problem and that it was actually good because it gave the district a chance to hire teachers with “new skills”.

    The tone was very civilized throughout but the fault lines were clearly visible.

  348. The Great Pumpkin says:

    You get to work in the coolest city in the world and you cry about it. Think about that for a second. You are a on train, enjoy the free time or just people watch. Stream tv/music, or read a book. If you really don’t like it, why are you here? One life to live…

    3b says:
    August 18, 2020 at 2:37 pm
    Fast: You are going to be waiting quite a while it looks like., Me I like not having to do the crappy commute into lower Manhattan. Bang the work out and get it done.

  349. Juice Box says:

    Phoenix’s – don’t be shy now you are a rub and t*ug spec*ialist, one of the dirtiest jobs out there cleanup is a real mess. It’s too bad Mike Rowe show did not go another season or two they could have featured you.

  350. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    Would you agree that some of the Asian admissions lost go to the White students, or is your concern that some go to AA?

    Neither. I’m concerned that most Asian admissions simply get thrown in the trash without even being considered.

  351. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I’m going to be blunt. This is really about parents that don’t want to be home with their kids. Plain and simple. We can’t open indoor dining, but you want to have school. If that’s the case, let’s open up the offices, stadiums, and restaurants.

    “The tone was very civilized throughout but the fault lines were clearly visible.”

  352. The Great Pumpkin says:

    And if the job is so easy, why can’t you stand being home with your kids. Why is it so difficult to get your kid to learn? Now you know what teachers deal with. It’s not easy. Especially if the personalities don’t mix.

    I had a class one year that was a living hell. They put these two sisters in there with this boy that they did not get along with. At one point, every single day, the class would devolve into me calling security for help. They would talk shit to each other and try to fight every single day. None of the parents would allow their kid to be removed from the class on the basis they didn’t want their schedule changed. I tried everything to get them out of my class, but I was stuck dealing with the bs every single day. Want to talk about stressed out. Almost quit that year.

    Maybe I’ll write a book about my experience as an urban teacher in north jersey. Been a hell of a ride.

  353. Phoenix says:

    Juice,
    More of a generalist, and cater to both males and females.
    Would you like an appointment?

  354. Phoenix says:

    Juice,
    And if you are on Medicaid or Medicare that form of payment is acceptable as well.

  355. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I remember my first month of teaching. Caf duty. Gang fight takes place. This was when kids wore baggy pants down to their knees and long white t shirts. Kid pulls a machete out of his pants. It was surreal. Waving it in the air, light shining off the blade, it looked like he was swinging a sword.

    Kids usually run towards a fight, but this one they were running away from. The kid throws the machete at one of the kids, misses. Other kid picks it up and slices him along the neck. That white shirt when blood red. Absolutely horrifying. This is while chairs are being thrown into the air and hitting the ceiling. All out gang fight. This teacher that has big balls got behind the kid with the machete and put him in an arm hold forcing him to drop the weapon.

    Guy deserved a hero award, but no one even knows. Story was swept under the rug and was a good lesson on the how the real world works. I prob should of quit that day, but I’m no quitter.

  356. Phoenix says:

    Pumps,

    “I’m going to be blunt. This is really about parents that don’t want to be home with their kids. Plain and simple.”

    Like these:

    https://bit.ly/34dxaoO

  357. Phoenix says:

    Teachers with small kids at home.
    If you are not aware you are eligible for the Covid Cares act leave up to 12 weeks of partial paid leave to care for your child, and are interested, please contact your Human Resources to get the ball rolling.

  358. 3b says:

    Pumps: I have been commuting for years, and it’s old. Constant train breakdowns, a/c not working in the summer , heat broken in the winter, days where the choice is lights on or keep the train moving. Not to mention the selfish pricks who think they are entitled to 4 seats instead of one. As for cool meh, in my opinion it ain’t that cool any more, homogenized and Disneyfied. And now of course it’s not even safe any more.

  359. D-FENS says:

    @wildstein

    New Jersey’s largest law enforcement union, @NJSPBA, endorses @realDonaldTrump, @VanDrewForNJ @DavidRichterNJ @RepChrisSmith @KeanForCongress @Becchi4Congress.

  360. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    lol, we banned Delaware again while they have a 7 day moving average of below 1 death per day.

  361. Bystander says:

    3b,

    My commute is intra-CT and about 30m on train. It is about a far as I want to tolerate at this point in my life. Only a true dufus believes it is fun times. No doubt he has never done it. Trains late, crowded, assh*les with sh*t strewn across sit, huffy/puffy types about sharing, loud talkers. I take Metro North too, which is like a dream compared to Raritan Valley. I still hate it. WFH is a dream right now, hopefully forever.

  362. Grim says:

    People from Delaware don’t come to NJ.

    They drive through it to get to philly occasionally.

    They sure as hell don’t go to the Jersey Shore.

  363. homeboken says:

    Pumps – Think about what you are saying – You are basically advocating that any parent can replace you, and your wide breadth of teaching experience, at a moment’s notice.

    You expect them to not only step into your job instantly but also, to do so at zero compensation, while we parent’s still get the pleasure of paying you for what exactly?

    Your job is to teach. That involves interacting with kids. But if you think parents will take over your job responsibilities while also continuing to pay your full salary – Well, you just described why so many parents have begun to resent the monopolistic practices that is NJ public education.

  364. homeboken says:

    By – Pumps thinks a commute to the city is like a mini-vacation. No doubt, his wife parrots that line to him whenever the topic comes up.

    Makes sense, I would welcome 90 minutes of soul-crushing NJ Transit if the alternative was hanging out with that numb-nuts.

  365. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Stand by what I said. I know what’s driving these parents emotion, and it’s dealing with their kids. Wealthy parents send their kids away to school for God’s sake. Most rich parents send their kids to something in the summer. Why?

    It’s a pandemic. Open everything up if you want schools to be open.

    I’ll go in, but I’m not speaking for others. Some people don’t feel comfortable going into a building with kids. Should I put them down for not wanting to risk their life? If all the offices weren’t closed, and stadiums were open, then they should be forced to go to school. If we aren’t having indoor restaurants, how can you have school? And god forbid anyone loses their life, town is going to get sued and lose.

    homeboken says:
    August 18, 2020 at 5:22 pm
    Pumps – Think about what you are saying – You are basically advocating that any parent can replace you, and your wide breadth of teaching experience, at a moment’s notice.

  366. The Great Pumpkin says:

    As for commute, it’s just like life, it’s what you make of it.

    That’s why some people, will never be happy. You can give them everything and they will still find a way to be upset and complain. Look at the positives instead of always focusing on the negatives.

  367. ExEssex says:

    I worked in the City for a little while, took the train from Totowa. It was a long slog, I’d miss the train sometimes and race to the next station to try and catch it. Good times. The commute into the City is/was grueling. It takes on helluv’an Alpha to manage that one. And these stone cold women of commerce with their track shoes and their attitudes they go on and on about making it and having it all. If they’d just found a guy like Eddie, a provider, a player then by-golly, they know real love and successs. they’d have the garden apartment in jersey city they find the center of the tootsie pop.

  368. 3b says:

    Homeboken: NJ Transit the pride of NJ.

  369. 3b says:

    Try doing the commute pumps then come back and tell us. You opine on so much that you have no familiarity with .

  370. AP says:

    homeboken, “soul-crushing NJ Transit”

    That’s the right expression.

    Let’s start at NY Penn Station and being corralled like animals with portable AC units strewn about, everyone with eyes on the board looking for the right track. Then the track changes. Near stampede. You avoid getting into a fight with a pushy fellow passenger and squeeze your way into the overcrowded train (the previous train was cancelled, so no seats available of course, despite the fact that it’s past almost 7pm). You can’t hear any announcement (sounds like the parents in Peanuts) but that’s ok as you are running on auto-pilot now.

    You get home past 8pm, despite having left the office at 5. Mind you, you left the house at 5:30am.

    But hey, at least you can drink a tall boy in the train. That helps pass the time while you question all your life choices leading up to this point.

  371. ExEssex says:

    It’s a long day and I was 39! at the time.
    I had a lot of skin in the game reaching for the brass ring.
    Then once the dot com crash happened I – get this – did the dreaded box in the arms walk down the WTC path station. Desk lamp in the box! Sweat in’ like a pig.
    8 months later…..9/11. Boooom. My old office was right next door.

  372. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Speaking of 401k’s….check out the chart on vwuax. I basically hit the lottery for my wife based on the choices presented. Bold move that paid off beyond expectations. All those years spewing to buy into the tech big boys on this blog paid off handsomely.

    Don’t know when to pull it out, but there will come a time. Right now, have to ride with the big boys of tech.

  373. Phoenix says:

    “feel comfortable”

    What about work is “feel comfortable.” Sometimes I am at work and I am stressed heavily- I see things and have to deal with things that you can’t begin to imagine. Plus others I work with are also put into situations that we do not “feel comfortable” about.

    Vacation is where you “feel comfortable.” Home is where you “feel comfortable.” Flying an airliner in a storm, or a doctor in a trauma, or a fireman in a burning building, no, its not about “feeling comfortable.”

    It’s about doing your job and being competent. Your “comfort’ is irrelevant. Quit and stay home if you want “comfort.”

  374. Phoenix says:

    Pumps,
    Profiting off of outsourcing, then complain about it?
    What a hypocrite.

    Do you have any redeeming qualities?
    Maybe help Juice out with that rub and tug he seems to be interested in.

  375. Phoenix says:

    NJ Transit.
    Overpaid and can’t keep trains running, then park them where they are going to flood during a hurricane.

  376. ExEssex says:

    6:49 I did. It didn’t suck.

  377. Juice Box says:

    Phoenix -I know a guy who used to go to those dating nights for the divorced geriatric clubs as he was only 30, he didn’t pay for a thing the ladies treated him real real well. Quite a scene as I went one night to find out for myself! I bet you would enjoy a night like that!

  378. Phoenix says:

    Were you one of those ladies?

  379. grim says:

    Thank god NJ is suing the post office. What would we do otherwise?

  380. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    My friends brothers have been playing in Jersey Shore cover bands for decades. We used to go see them if we had nothing better to do. When his brothers were 35/37, and we were 22, they played the Columns in Avon. Same deal, girls in their late 30s early 40s all over.

  381. Juice Box says:

    Grim – our NJ Attorney general’s twitter feed looks like he could give a crap about anything but Federal issues and we are probably paying for a few lawyers to manage it too

  382. Juice Box says:

    Blue Ribbon – Columns in Avon got nothing on places I have been too, places filled with loaded old ladies. We could probably combine our knowledge and resources to get Phoenix to a makeover session with Queer Eye for the Straight Guy host Carson or Ted and BAM! before you know it he is the kept man in a mansion in a hoight town like Rumson, Alpine, Short Hill or some other place they keep the pretty boys.

  383. ExEssex says:

    I’d say if you wanna be a kept man ya gotta be packing at least an 8 .

  384. grim says:

    Allowing work from home for municipal jobs.

    What could go wrong?

  385. Juice Box says:

    So hearings maybe Monday about USPS. If I ran that joint it would be a worker on every corner with a post office box and heck now until the election. Do they really have 600,000 doing sorting and delivery? That is fking crazy….

  386. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Hey, I rather they open everything up, but they haven’t. That’s why until today, I stayed the hell out of this school opening debate. That’s a problem for future me, and I have tried my best to stay the hell out of it. People demand perfection from schools, but their opinions on what is perfect are all different. That’s why this job needs tenure and a union, too many people trying to be your boss and tell you how to do the job. World is full of angry jerk offs. They just love to b!tch and complain…it’s their idea of fun.

    “What about work is “feel comfortable.” Sometimes I am at work and I am stressed heavily- I see things and have to deal with things that you can’t begin to imagine. Plus others I work with are also put into situations that we do not “feel comfortable” about.”

  387. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I do what I have to do..

    Phoenix says:
    August 18, 2020 at 6:52 pm
    Pumps,
    Profiting off of outsourcing, then complain about it?
    What a hypocrite.

  388. The Great Pumpkin says:

    That’s what stinks about this profession. Hated as much as the cops. I hope I don’t have to go through another hateful period like the one Christie started 10 years ago, shockingly(not), right when the economy sours. People are so predictable.

    “So the Morris Hills Regional school district (Denville, Rockaway, Wharton and a part of Dover) held a last minute BOE mtg. They currently have a hybrid plan. The meeting was held on Zoom, the chat and raise hand options were disabled and you had to PHONE IN to make your public comment. I took me 14 attempts to get through. (Lucky I have nothing but time)
    I will refrain for commenting on the union president’s messaging but I did speak regarding the HVAC system Inspection and MERV 8 filters they are using and compliance. After that, it was a bloodbath for the teachers. It was clear parents want their kids in school, no matter what! Two parents admitted they don’t believe in the virus and we heard the essential worker argument along with other FOX news talking points. I have never been so ashamed of my town. And to the educators who were maligned this evening, my heart goes out to you. I am sorry it went down that way.”

  389. The Great Pumpkin says:

    It’s just funny, I’m blasted for not saying I was in the teaching profession. Is there any question to as why? It’s like putting a target on your back.

    America needs to get their values in check. If they attacked education with their best and brightest, you would get such a nice return on the investment. Short term monetary greed gets in the way though. Our companies throw all this money at the best, making damn sure they will never ever reach the classroom. How do you persuade the best to go into teaching to make 60k for most of your career and topping out at 100k. You just don’t attract the best and brightest with this compensation. Then when you constantly put down teachers in front of your kids, think as to why you have the quality of teacher you have? You get what you pay for. 100k is attracting above avg, but nowhere near the best and brightest.

  390. 3b says:

    You were not blasted for not saying you were in the teaching profession, and you know it. It’s because you lied, and said you were in the corporate sector then you doubled down and claimed you were getting big raises every 6 month.

  391. The Great Pumpkin says:

    My wife went a little get together with the mom’s in my daughter’s class. A dad of one of the girls is thinking about renting out an office space because he feels unproductive at home.

  392. Phoenix says:

    Juice,
    U identify as an enby?

  393. The Great Pumpkin says:

    3b,

    I lied to protect myself. Blue was getting harassed on his work email. Plus, you had your daily tirades by Lib about teachers and how much he hates them. Come on, be realistic.

  394. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    I dunno Juice, my friends brother who is the guitarist met his wife there immediately after she was part of that NJ lotto pool who won the biggest lotto in history at the time.

  395. 3b says:

    Pumps: what you did was inexcusable, you could have said nothing. But you stated repeatedly on the blog. No bs rationale on your part excuses that.

  396. 3b says:

    In other news the convention is a bard fest! It’s amazing the guy is in politics for 45 years and he is being portrayed as the second coming of Christ or Obama!

  397. ExEssex says:

    Schummmmmmmmer!

  398. JCer says:

    Pumps, I think people give you a hard time because you lied about being a teacher. I’ll give you this teaching in the hood is not fun. I know the hood the people don’t give two sh*ts about learning, school, etc. I understand your job isn’t easy, you are in charge of the inmates in the asylum. Why do we want our kids back in school? First is education many of us are concerned with our kids regressing, next is the fact that we have to work it is very hard to watch your children while working.

    Just as you feel many posters don’t know what your job entails(which is true, many do not understand the reality of being a teacher in an urban district), you are totally uniformed about the private sector. I assure you the expectation is continually doing more with less, what you did for your employer 6 months or a year ago doesn’t matter and people are sacked if they fall in the bottom 10th. I had to layoff a 70yr old man(who was very good at his job) and a woman who was a single parent caring for a kid with cancer a few years ago, my management didn’t care one iota about what they were putting these people through or that these people had been with the company a decade and were good loyal employees. Their jobs were shipped to India, I was asked why should we pay all this money we can replace them with people in India for 12k per year more than a factor of 10 vs. their pay(the reality is the India resources were terrible but senior management doesn’t care). I’ve been lucky their previous boss dropped dead at 40 unexpectedly most likely due to stress from the job. That is the reality of the private sector, not big paydays, steak dinners, caviar, etc,……

    AP do we live in the same town? I sat through an incredibly long and boring BOE Webex last night? What did I get from this, money is a big reason for delaying the opening……

  399. leftwing says:

    “Democrat enthusiasm for tonight DNC convention is looking pretty comatose.”

    Wasn’t even aware until I googled the schedule the Serial Rapist was speaking. MSM advertised AOC, Jill Biden, etc. No mention of WJC. Even Dems are embarrassed by him.

    “True. [AOC] is an arrogant ill informed little twit.”

    Almost. Buy a different vowel…..

    Re: all this USPS discussion….just cut delivery to every other day. Still six days of service. One driver doing two routes, one every other day. Cuts most labor, some PP&E in half.

    Seriously, what soul in America receives something by regular mail EVERY day that can’t wait until the next day? I’m damn near a boomer and pick up my mail maybe once a week….drop it on a table or counter and open it every second or third week…Just went through the latest pile, got my PIN from the brokerage to set up bill pay. Letter was dated June. The most interaction I had with USPS was a few years ago when I replaced the post and box because the old ones were looking kind of sh1tty. There is literally nothing I receive by USPS that I need…..I would not notice if they stopped delivering to me altogether.

  400. ExEssex says:

    9:45 you are looking at the next President.
    Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiden

  401. ExEssex says:

    Colin Powell agrees. Booooooyahhhh

  402. Hold my beer says:

    I can tell pumps has never commuted to nyc. Take 16 hours of work, cram it into 10-12 hours with a 60-90 minute commute on each end of it. And you probably have to be up by 5, 5:30 at the latest to get to work

  403. leftwing says:

    “9:45 you are looking at the next President.
    Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiden”

    LOL, I’m a political junkie and even I didn’t watch it. Tuned in at 11pm for the CBS News, saw Jill Biden whining into the camera, went back to Blackhawks v VGK.

    Truly don’t care other than how to play it financially. Hoping for no winner for weeks and blood in the streets. QAnon v Antifa. Cities on fire. Etc.

  404. ExEssex says:

    Love the Blackhawks …. but you know …
    wife & kid wanna watch a little Hystery.

  405. homeboken says:

    The DNC is broadcasting a zoom meeting and calling it a convention. I’m so inspired

    More interested in Clinton photos getting neck rubs from Epstein accuser while they were refueling the Lolita express in Portugal.

    Seriously DNC, it’s not 1985 anymore. You can’t pretend that the public doesn’t totally know what these creeps are up to.

    Regarding Post Office – very funny Babylon Bee graphic. Trump riding out a car window with a bat. Headline – Trump plays mailbox baseball in latest voter oppression scheme. “Try to vote for Biden now losers!”

  406. grim says:

    Seriously, what soul in America receives something by regular mail EVERY day that can’t wait until the next day? I’m damn near a boomer and pick up my mail maybe once a week….drop it on a table or counter and open it every second or third week…Just went through the latest pile, got my PIN from the brokerage to set up bill pay. Letter was dated June. The most interaction I had with USPS was a few years ago when I replaced the post and box because the old ones were looking kind of sh1tty. There is literally nothing I receive by USPS that I need…..I would not notice if they stopped delivering to me altogether.

    Something like 60% of Millennials don’t check their mail daily.
    80% of Baby Boomers pay bills by mail.
    20% of Millennials pay bills by mail.

    Gen Z will be the last generation that even understands what sending a check via mail is. It will be the equivalent of you Gen-X’ers that remember rotary dial phones.

  407. grim says:

    Unsolicited prospectus by mail is one of the other dinosaurs that needs to die. Waste of paper and carbon.

  408. grim says:

    Mailing completed ballots don’t require sorting machines, they are all going to the same place.

  409. grim says:

    Americans wrote 41.9 billion checks in 2000.

    2015 – 17.3 billion checks.

    2020 – ? My guess is 13-15 billion, maybe that’s even too optimistic.

    Post-Covid – this is due for a whollop of a decline, as touch-less payments are becoming far more common, versus touching dirty pens and paper. Current anti-cash sentiment applies even more heavily to checks, especially if you ask for a pen. Accepting checks at retail is going to die for sure, which will just accelerate the trend of using paper checks in general.

    This combined with demographics, by 2025 probably less than 10 billion.

  410. SmallGovConservative says:

    I’ve never been big on conspiracy theories, but the longer we go here in NJ with a relatively locked-down economy, the more I’m willing to believe that the blue state govs are deliberately throttling their economies in order to help Dem election chances. Interesting opinion piece below noting the promising trend in the sunbelt states where, despite all the hand-wringing by the nattering nabobs about opening too soon, there has been no catastrophic rise in hospitalizations or deaths. Those states opened, as the article notes they then reversed some of their reopening measures as warranted as cases increased, and are now seeing reductions/leveling off; so no overwhelming of hospitals, no massive increase in deaths and local economies that have at least been unlocked. Meanwhile, here in NJ you can’t go to a gym and if you want to eat out, it’s on a plastic picnic table in a parking lot — an annoyance for us as customers, but an unnecessary death warrant for some local businesses.

    https://www.bloombergquint.com/gadfly/a-sunbelt-coronavirus-turnaround-will-boost-the-economy

  411. Fast Eddie says:

    I’ve never been big on conspiracy theories, but the longer we go here in NJ with a relatively locked-down economy, the more I’m willing to believe that the blue state govs are deliberately throttling their economies in order to help Dem election chances.

    Gee, ya think? Not only that but you can’t vote in person and so, your paper ballot, to be opened and inspected with much bias and scrutiny, will be thrown in the garbage if the person opening the paper ballot doesn’t like your selection. Also, we are being forced to wear masks, required to distance in lines and are limited in our lifestyles. Choice? LOL. You have no choice. It’s all coming together for the Ivory Tower Charlatan Elites!

  412. grim says:

    NJ mortality rate for COVID seems like a statistical outlier.

    Maybe you can put NY in that mix too, though NJ still seems worse.

  413. grim says:

    As COVID continues to spread across the US, cases increasing, the gap is growing wider.

    Many thought that mortality rates in Florida, Texas, would catch up to NY/NJ, appears this is going the other direction entirely.

  414. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    Murphy and his indoor dining ban is more based on his style of dealing with problems. Mainly, he likes to do things just in case after he had his a** handed to him.

    For example:

    The entire state was crippled from a snow storm, so, I’m going to brine the roads every day, even though the low for the week is 40 degrees, just in case.

    MA and CT both have indoor dining and lower transmissions rates than we do.

    You can’t compare southern or western states with us as the people just generally don’t care as much. If you cross the border into PA, you’ll see an entirely different attitude. Even going to South Jersey, you’ll see a different attitude. The human behavior is entirely different.

  415. homeboken says:

    Small – We will see this really pick up steam when the schools start shutting down.

    People seem to forget – Day care centers in NJ have been open, since June 15th. Unless I missed something, I have seen no meaningful increase in cases, death etc. that are being spread from those centers. And these are young kids, no masks, that breath, lick and snot on EVERYTHING.

    Again – It’s been over 60 days since day care centers have opened. Where is the mass case load increase and death that the NJEA is predicting for school age kids?

  416. grim says:

    Florida covid mortality has fallen from around 4.5% to about 1.5% since May.

    NJ continues to sit around 8.5%

    We are really good at killing people up here, otherwise, Florida and Texas together are hiding something like 80,000 deaths.

  417. The Great Pumpkin says:

    If we close the post office, how many people will lose jobs? How many will never find a job again? Remember, losing lots of other jobs besides postal workers. Will you then complain when your taxes go up? You will have less people paying taxes and more people collecting unemployment, but hey we are efficient baby!!

    Soon there won’t be jobs left for people with an IQ at a 100 or below.

  418. grim says:

    You are an idiot, nobody is talking about closing the post office.

    The post office doesn’t require the same number of employees as it had 20 years ago, because it’s services are used far less frequently than 20 years ago.

    They can reinvent themselves to be more relevant, sure, it’s a good idea.

    But to require the same staffing levels as 20 years ago, why? You would be paying people to sit around and do nothing.

  419. njtownhomer says:

    I think the mortality rates hide the truth that the healthcare system is run by
    insurance companies and their ruthless procedures. The doctors couldn’t do anything they did not have a pre-approval for. They couldn’t utilize research methods, application of breathing assistance devices, drug cocktails and other experimental methods. They have been left alone with crude solutions for a disease they didn’t know.

    Also in play is the lack of preparations. I am not talking about the PPE, but simply not enough medicine, apparatus. Hence they resorted to early intubation that resulted in high mortality.

    Remind that the median age of admitted patients was also probably high in NJ in the early days.

    The ceteris paribus doesn’t apply. NY/NJ experienced this at a different state. I am not clearing any wrongdoing, but the statistics are very hard to compare. Perhaps the mortality rate for any admitted patient could be measured at this late stage now. The ramping up period is not a stationary process for all states.

  420. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Whoa, come on now. Don’t compare a day care center to a school. Very small groups and limited new contact between people.

    You don’t see all the colleges shutting down after a few days? Open your eyes.

    “People seem to forget – Day care centers in NJ have been open, since June 15th. Unless I missed something, I have seen no meaningful increase in cases, death etc. that are being spread from those centers. And these are young kids, no masks, that breath, lick and snot on EVERYTHING.”

  421. Fast Eddie says:

    You would be paying people to sit around and do nothing.

    As in the majority of government jobs. I “worked” for a municipality for four years.

  422. grim says:

    Data Determines Dates

    Except when we have anecdotes that play into our confirmation biases.

  423. homeboken says:

    Pumpkin – You don’t want me to compare a room full of chidren and adults to other rooms full of children and adults?

    Please do explain.

  424. grim says:

    America’s outrage over the Postal System is the equivalent of a bunch of people protesting over their local corner store closing, while just having shopped at Walmart.

  425. 3b says:

    Juice: You were right! If I was Bernie I would not want her support. I was looking at comments on another site, and the poster was gushing about how well spoken and well researched she is!! Astounding!!

  426. The Great Pumpkin says:

    People are afraid to get the virus. Until this is not the case, we are screwed. I’m all for opening up the economy and risking getting the virus, but that’s not the norm, most think that position is crazy.

    Look at school planning, it’s a riot. You have some parents that demand virtual and others that demand in person. Have strong opinions all over the place. Just wake me up when this virus is over, this is a living hell.

  427. 3b says:

    Even normally calm grim is losing his patience!!

  428. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Being that the avg person just buy what is cheapest, these companies should put a warning label on why it’s so cheap. You can have the cheap product if you accept that you might not have a job. If they pointed this out, maybe so many people would’t take the bait of cheap. They rather help someone keep their job as opposed to this person losing their job and becoming depressed.

    grim says:
    August 19, 2020 at 9:36 am
    America’s outrage over the Postal System is the equivalent of a bunch of people protesting over their local corner store closing, while just having shopped at Walmart.

  429. Juice Box says:

    Look the faux news Post Office Gate Scandal it’s a brilliant way to rile up grandma and grandpa to get them to vote for sleeping Joe. Pelosi is calling back Congress on Monday for a hearing. Only the Dems will show up because the Republican convention is on, they are going to roast the Postmaster on TV and it will be broadcast on all channels full volume.

    BLM failed it’s fizzled already, Covid numbers are dwindling and and there are only 75 days to the election, they are running out of crisis to whoop up the base. The base will stay home on election day. The fake Kamala Chameleon has done zip for Biden’s polls in the Battleground states.

    They are running out of time, Just Saying That bastard might get four more years, anyone remember the turning point in September 2016 for Hillary when Matt Lauer interviewed Clinton and Trump and the tide started to turn?

  430. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I already did. Let me simplify it. Day cares have like 20 people. Schools have 100’s to thousands. You do the math with a pandemic.

    It’s a pandemic, people are working from home, god forbid they have to help a little with their child’s education selfish pricks. The teacher creates everything for you, all you have to do is act like a teacher’s aid. Too much for you though.

    homeboken says:
    August 19, 2020 at 9:35 am
    Pumpkin – You don’t want me to compare a room full of chidren and adults to other rooms full of children and adults?

    Please do explain.

  431. ExEssex says:

    9:06 you realize of course in Geo. Bush’s case if Florida would have been able to effectively count their votes, we’d have Never had 9/11…..

  432. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Wow, just wow. You are out of touch. These people are working harder than you. You think they have time to sit around? Management is tough, and everything is timed. You are gone if you can’t keep up.

    “But to require the same staffing levels as 20 years ago, why? You would be paying people to sit around and do nothing.”

  433. Wednesday HideTheBodies says:

    Grim;

    Look at your post thru Occam’s Razor and you got the answer.

    Earlier amount of death in NY/NJ where the sickest of the population and putting everyone on a ventilator seemed the best thing to do at the time when you take into account patients’ condition, lack of ppe and known contagiousness of the virus; with the ventilator being the best answer as it kept the contamination within the ventilator filtered circuits.

    Who controls the State Health Department in both FL & TX? Do they have a political motivation to do what you stated?

    Decades from now when a good analytical study is done about the crisis you are going to see the depth of the manipulation done.

    grim says:
    August 19, 2020 at 9:26 am
    Florida covid mortality has fallen from around 4.5% to about 1.5% since May.

    NJ continues to sit around 8.5%

    We are really good at killing people up here, otherwise, Florida and Texas together are hiding something like 80,000 deaths.

  434. TruthIsTheEnemy says:

    The ice cold democrat governors who knowingly sent the sick into nursing homes probably have something to do with the off the charts death rates up here.

    But that’s part of the alternate reality that the fake news pretends does not exists. Just like the widespread criminality of the street protestors. These are Marxist criminals and are doing more to victimize the underprivileged more than any crooked cop.

  435. ExEssex says:

    Instead we got another brain-dead Republicant who didn’t pay attention to security briefings. We paid dearly for that.

    See you in November.

  436. Juice Box says:

    That is some twist of logic there ExEssex.

    So Bin Laden and cohorts would have called off the Jihad they were training years for because Clinton wagged the dog and tried to ice Bin Laden trying to distract the media over his diddling the intern with a cigar?

  437. Fast Eddie says:

    9:06 you realize of course in Geo. Bush’s case if Florida would have been able to effectively count their votes, we’d have Never had 9/11…..

    LMAO!!! What’s the frequency, Kenneth!

  438. Juice Box says:

    Cuomo is writing a book about his heroic efforts to stop the coronavirus in NY.

  439. Juice Box says:

    Who turned off the Sun? The cloud cover is very dark and the thunder and lightening here in Monmouth county is pretty fierce right now.

  440. Juice Box says:

    Tornado warning just went out

    At 1003 AM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Lincroft, or near Long Branch, moving east at 20 mph … Radar indicated rotation ..

  441. 3b says:

    It’s amazing how Democrats can rewrite history. Young Bush was a disaster as President, and he had Daddy issues, but to pin Bin Laden solely on him is false.

  442. Fast Eddie says:

    3b,

    I always loved the term, “Bush’s Katrina” as well. As if a democrat president would have willed the hurricane away and spared the disaster. As if a democrat would have held back the waters of the dams that gave way and spared lives and property. Just look at the reaction of the then mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, who was not only an epic failure at responding to the catastrophe but was also sentenced to 10 years for corruption.

  443. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I think politics combined with the internet and social media has created an environment on politicized issues in which you don’t know what to believe. It’s insane. Two sides driven by the word of god. Now you know why religion has created so many wars, politics is no different.

  444. AP says:

    Fast Eddie, re “Ivory Tower Charlatan Elites”

    What about the “Industrial Pollution Elite” or the “Arms Manufacturing Militaristic Elite”. There’s all kinds of elites for you to pick from.

    Personally I prefer the “musical elite”, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Grand Ole Opry, and stuff like that. But the Ivory Tower folks can be fun at parties too. Just don’t take it too seriously.

  445. 3b says:

    7 Shootings in NYC last night in a 3 hour period , and one fatality. A woman was also stabbed to death in Queens. We are back to the bad old days in NYC.

  446. Phoenix says:

    “God” is used by politicians to make the religious boomers think they are pious.

    Throwing his/her/whatever name around is to make sure the flock continues to toe the line.

  447. Phoenix says:

    3b
    That’s the way to reach herd immunity in NYC.

  448. 3b says:

    AP:I agree I hate the elites on both sides. Republicans also stood by and watched as America’s manufacturing was dismantled and shipped overseas. And their mindless endless wars. We are still in Afghanistan and Iraq.

  449. Juice Box says:

    3b – Unemployment in the Bronx is 25%

  450. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    A lot of people forget the media hissy fit that ensued the instant GWB was elected. I think he was an awful president but half the stuff they complained about was complete BS.

  451. Phoenix says:

    3b AP
    Agree also.

  452. The Great Pumpkin says:

    This Canadian might just be correct. 🤷‍♂️Lol

    “They know schools will be forced to close because of outbreaks, they’re hopeful reopening will go smoothly but they know it probably won’t.

    At this point, the reason they are going ahead with reopening (knowing it will probably fail) is to make parents buy school supplies.

    If they delay or cancel the start of the school year, parents won’t buy school supplies for their kids.”

    https://globalnews.ca/news/3657215/back-to-school-canada-saving-budget/

  453. Phoenix says:

    Politicians are bought and paid for-both sides.

  454. 3b says:

    Juice: 25 percent!! It sounds like a number from a poor country. I have a sister still in the Bronx, and the house prices were through the roof!! Shocking! I don’t know who or why anyone would pay those prices. Local buzz is that Albanians are buying a lot of them. But still public schools in the Bronx?? And the local Catholic grammar school just recently closed, although there is talk the Archdiocese may change their mind since public schools are not reopening.

  455. Juice Box says:

    Pumps = Skools will be closed by the time they get to yours in four weeks. About 2/3rds of the 50 million kids around the country will have been is Skool for a month or longer when they finally reopen in NJ on Sept 14th.

    The news should be filled soon with 24 x 7 stories of teachers and students dropping like flies from Covid-19. The death toll will be enormous…little Karens and little Jim Bobs will be getting eulogized along with Mr. Hand and Ms. Jones who both should have taken the leave of absence do to bad tickers and diabetus.

  456. Juice Box says:

    3b – They closed St Ann’s on Bainbridge Ave three years ago along with Saints Peter and Paul and a few more Bronx Catholic schools.

    I don’t miss sister Mary, the movie Doubt based in 1964 comes pretty close to those days.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie4LuDp6HUs

  457. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    Fun fact, we already did the school during covid experiment in Jan-March and the statistics would indicate that a decent percentage of people were actively infected at the time.

  458. Juice Box says:

    The plan to roll out 300 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine in JANUARY 2021 from Moderna Pharmaceutical is going to be delayed?

    Seems they cannot recruit enough people of different backgrounds to participate in the Trial.

    https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/18/health/vaccine-trial-progress-moderna-volunteers/index.html

  459. 3b says:

    Juice: My sister is in a predominantly Italian area of the Bronx, and Albanians who seem to be obsessed with Italians. The Albanians have taken over a lot of the Italian restaurants and bakeries. They hang their Kosovo flags on the city lamp posts. I was surprised the local Catholic school in the area. The movie Doubt was excellent, parts of it filmed in Parkchester.

  460. Juice Box says:

    re: “Albanians who seem to be obsessed with Italians”

    That is because they look across the Adriatic Sea at night and see lights powered by electricity.

  461. 3b says:

    Juice: good one!!

  462. grim says:

    Other than the initial two screening calls I got for the Pfizer / BioNTech Phase 3 trial, nobody has gotten back to me yet on actually going in for the study enrollment. That was last Tuesday/Wednesday. On the second screening call with one of the researchers, she did tell me that I was approved/accepted. Not sure if it has something to do with the current enrolling sites being in NYC. I don’t believe an NJ site has been selected yet for Pfizer.

  463. Juice Box says:

    grim – You should have checked “other” on the online vaccine candidate questionnaire when it came to gender identifier.

    I will be here all year and maybe longer…keep feeding me material folks.

  464. Fabius Maximus says:

    So the reviews in here of the DNC convention sound like there were written by Donnie.

    Low energy, bad speakers. I hope you apply the same balanced review standards to the GOP convention.

    I want to hear:

    “low energy from that Karen from that viral video where shes screaming people walking past her house”
    “Nervous delivery from that kid in the MAGA hat who did something in a video.”
    “Melania, gave that speech so much better than Michelle!”
    “Wait, where are all the other speakers?”

  465. grim says:

    I like watching them all drive around in those funny little cars in the silly hats.

  466. Fast Eddie says:

    The DNC had a convention?

  467. Juice Box says:

    Fab – I have been praying for the Covid virus to take them both. Do you think God will listen?

  468. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    Anyone have any opinions on Fannie/Freddie adding .5% penalty to refinances?

  469. grim says:

    Too angry, need a vacation

  470. Juice Box says:

    I need to travel too, was thinking of buying a sailboat and head to the Caribbean until this blows over. Who is in?

    I have been watching sailing channels like this, very soothing.

    https://www.youtube.com/user/briantrautman

  471. homeboken says:

    Juice – If you go to the Caribbean, I would recommend Anguilla. It’s tiny but the beaches are perfect. Amazing food options, especially the row of joints in Meads Bay. I also think they haven’t had a COVID case in months.

  472. Juice Box says:

    Blue – Fannie and Freddie will need another bailout if people really have stopped paying their mortgages. So and additional .5% translates to an average of $1400 on a fannie freddie refi,it is only lip service to Covid pandemic economic issues.

  473. Juice Box says:

    homeboken – I was thinking more of a “Pirate Startup”. We sail down there and live stream our escapades of sinking rich peoples boats and taking their wine, women and treasure all in the name of Social Justice.

  474. 3b says:

    Fab: I won’t even watch the Republican nomination. I watched the Democrats to see what all the buzz was about. And the gushing over Joe Biden was yes barf inducing. I think if Democrats were honest they would admit that. He along with many others on both sides has watched over the past 40 years as Americans were sold out. This build back better them is a joke. Trump will have been in office for 4 years , assuming he is not re-elected. What about Joe? The Democrats want to get back to normal, which is in large measure why Trump was elected in the first place.

  475. 3b says:

    I need a vacation too! Have to convince my better half. If not I may go by myself!!

  476. 3b says:

    Maybe I will get that tattoo!!

  477. Juice Box says:

    3B – There is a tattoo place by me that makes me laugh every time I drive by, if you are Irish that is.

    https://www.facebook.com/poguemahonetattoo/

  478. crushednjmillenial says:

    3B . . . on Bronx housing prices, it is two things.

    First, a lot of of the Bronx is zoned for, or it is just generally accepted, that a lot of single-family homes can be built into 5-6 floor apartment buildings.

    Second, the property taxes are low inside the city limits of NYC.

  479. juice box says:

    “Hi everyone, I’m Joe Biden’s husband”

    Lol – will he make it to November?

  480. Juice box says:

    Essex – concrete conclusions to indight? Speculation sure but attempt an Indightment and convict? Not there, you can wish it was but it ain’t, justice simply has a higher bar.

    None of this would have mattered if the DNC ran an electable candidate in 2016, they refuse to accept responsibility for Trump and are doubling down again with an unfit candidate. I agree with AOC I second the nomination of Bernie Sanders.

  481. 3b says:

    Crushed: I understand the property taxes are low, I grew up there, but the prices are still insane, considering there are very few good areas left. As for the zoning issue that is no longer the case. Much of the housing stock has been two family homes for years, and some illegal 3 families. Of course the run up in prices is reflective of the Feds artificially low interest rates, and illustrates that when this market crashes it will be ugly!!

  482. Juice Box says:

    Grim don’t be surprised the State AG has only two investigators on his team to investigate 30,000 cops. He has aspirations for Barr’s seat in the next administration running NJ is low on his list, just look at his tweets., if Trump farted in NJ he will bring a federal lawsuit but if the PO PO rough up people regularly on the way to the county jail? sorry too busy to look into that.

  483. 3b says:

    Juice: I nominate Bernie too! And yes been saying it for almost 4 years now Trump is the Democrats fault.

  484. 3b says:

    Juice: Agree that is funny! But it would have been nice if he spelled it right, it should be Pog Ma Thoin!! But it will do. I may take a ride there. My wife would be shocked if I actually did it. Then she would probably laugh at me!!

  485. Juice box says:

    Judge Boasberg: In other words, you agree that you intentionally altered the email to include information that was not originally in the email.

    Clinesmith: Yes your honor. ”

    Another Democrat conspiracy theory unraveling.

    #Clinesmith
    @CBSNews

    Does Strock, McCabe and Comey get perp walked now?

  486. crushednjmillenial says:

    3B . . . I don’t know if something changed in Bronx zoning recently, but on NY Yimby, they routinely report on lots currently used for a house or two being built into 20+ unit buildings.

    Here is an example below, the relevant lot had two houses on it which you can see on older versions of Google Streetviews. They will build a 38-unit residential building. The linked article is from 2020, but if you look at these kinds of articles from 2014 or 2015, a lot of it does end up getting built, even though “announced” development can often fail to be built.

    I don’t know, I’m not an expert, by any means.

    https://newyorkyimby.com/2020/06/permits-filed-for-2428-bronx-park-east-in-allerton-the-bronx.html

  487. Juice Box says:

    Just goes to show even a smoking gum video of a perp can be tossed
    If you have lots of money.

    https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/19/us/robert-kraft-prostitution-video-appeal/index.html

  488. 3b says:

    Crushed it may still be the case in some areas. I know in at least some areas in the Bronx fill in multi family housing is no longer allowed and any one or two family housing units must have drive ways/garages. My Sisters is a two family and it’s supposed to be valued at over 800k!! If I were her I would have taken the cash and got out, but she will never leave. With the pandemic don’t know what it’s value is.

  489. Fabius Maximus says:

    You do realize that AOC nominating Bernie was a procedural part of the Rollcall.

    Part of the problem we have today is that a lot of people will ignore the facts behind behind that nomination and just use it to spin out a false narrative that fits their talking points. Lazy, ignorant or deliberate?

  490. Fabius Maximus says:

    W will always own Katrina. Appointing someone unfit to run FEMA and then praising them when they mess up the response. So GOP.

    Donnie is worse in that regard. DeVos is top of that list, but Donnies unfit bench runs a lot deeper.

  491. Juice Box says:

    Fab – I do realize that she said nothing during those 60 seconds about Joe Biden.

    Well played in my opinion lots and lots of moxie….

  492. homeboken says:

    The DNC has a real problem on their hands here with Biden. Let’s say he wins. Great now what?

    The progressive caucus has stated they will primary the incumbent if their policies are not properly integrated in the Biden administration.

    That’s a no brainer of course – Biden is not going to run for a 2nd term, he has stated as much. So K. Harris might get the party nod, she might not. But we will have an active 2 party primary system in 2024 regardless.

    He’s a thought – Biden wins. Does 1 term. Fast forward to 2024 – The DNC runs a full field to find their next nominee.

    The GOP galvanizes around a then 77-78 year old Trump?

  493. 3b says:

    Home: I was with you until the end. Assuming Biden wins , Trump won’t be back in 2024. The Republicans will need to rebrand and come up with new faces, and that’s a tall order in 4 years. What I think might happen is that the Dems run their version of Trump, as in an outsider and AOC is the VP.

  494. Fast Eddie says:

    but Donnies unfit bench runs a lot deeper.

    And yet, Cankles lost and the lefties field an 80 year old demented pervert.

    Okay then.

  495. 3b says:

    The Dems can throw a lot at Trump, and I will say much of it but certainly not all of it has at least some merit, and some is spot on.

    But the fact remains Trump is not a politician and will have been in any political office just 4 years. How and honest Democrat can say that a career politician of 40 plus years who has been in Washington and watched the country decline is the answer we as a country need.

  496. 3b says:

    Is beyond me.

  497. Fabius Maximus says:

    3b
    A good analogy. would be starting Geno Smith as a nice experiment, but you went back to Eli Manning when you realized how bad he was.

  498. Juice box says:

    More lawsuits over Gov Murphy exec order to ship everyone a ballot and close polling locations and no voting machines.

    I would say why bother trump can’t win NJ but incompetent Phil left this one wide open for a federal judge to Put in an injunction that will affect all states.

    https://www.nj.com/politics/2020/08/trump-campaign-sues-nj-to-stop-murphys-vote-by-mail-order-calling-it-brazen-power-grab.html

  499. leftwing says:

    “Many thought that mortality rates in Florida, Texas, would catch up to NY/NJ…”

    In defense of Cuomo and Murphy they were the first ones hit so not many domestic road maps. Both have blood on their hands for the obvious miss on the nursing homes though since the age co-morbidity was well known before C19 took hold here…For Cuomo, I think he tries, in Machiavellian way, but honestly tries and just swung and missed. Murphy, don’t even know what to say….total ass-clown….when I was in IB we had something called up and out….basically, if you were well received but so fcuking stupid your group basically rated you 1 (tops) then you just ‘happened’ to receive a promotion from another group for a lateral promote….I’m suspecting Murphy was so fcuking stupid in GS he just kept getting tossed around like a hot potato as Group Heads just kept trying to get him as far away as possible after bringing him in…usually takes about six months before the new group realizes their error and embarks on the same up and out process…Fcuker got promoted into the Guv’s office by being a total fcuking moron. Joke’s on us…..

  500. leftwing says:

    “Mainly, he likes to do things just in case after he had his a** handed to him.”

    Tell tale sign of an up and outer…..No real knowledge or confidence so plays to the crowd for an entire CYA

  501. Fast Eddie says:

    Fabisu,

    A good analogy. would be starting Geno Smith as a nice experiment, but you went back to Eli Manning when you realized how bad he was.

    You’re side doesn’t have an Eli Manning. Your side has Blaine Gabbert.

  502. Phoenix says:

    “Both have blood on their hands for the obvious miss on the nursing homes”

    You would think these nursing homes would have notified someone instead of putting bodies in a shed.

    It took an “anonymous” tip- but by then they moved the bodies back inside. So they were not reporting, they were hiding information.

    You can’t defend against what you don’t know. So that is the question, how deceitful were the nursing homes…

  503. leftwing says:

    “You can’t compare southern or western states with us as the people just generally don’t care as much. If you cross the border into PA, you’ll see an entirely different attitude. Even going to South Jersey, you’ll see a different attitude. The human behavior is entirely different.”

    I’ve been here for a decade, hell at this point I can probably say well over a decade…from the beginning I’ve maintained NNJ is nothing more than a bad petri dish experiment gone horribly wrong….of course it’s “different” here…..42….just ask the mice

  504. AP says:

    South Jersey is really nice, but not all of it. I like Cape May county the most. North Jersey is the same. Depends where you go.

  505. 3b says:

    I take Monmouth over Bergen any day. Southwest Jersey should be part of Pennsylvania, that’s where there focus is. North Jersey is NYC to them.

  506. Phoenix says:

    What is considered south Jersey, south of Princeton?

  507. leftwing says:

    “You can’t defend against what you don’t know. So that is the question, how deceitful were the nursing homes…”

    LOL. Go back and look at the relevant news at the time. The only item in the press were the differences in mortality between Italy (aged population) and everyone else. Age as the major risk factor was well known…they didn’t need to see Grandma and Grandpa drop like flies here to figure it out….and the numbers were well reported by NY and NJ themselves…..for Christ sake, Cuomo sent patients FROM the hospitals back TO the nursing homes….

  508. Juice Box says:

    Sleeping Joe has a problem.

    “Democratic National Convention night two viewership was down at least 48 percent from broadcasts of the same night in 2016, even though many Americans are subject to government restrictions keeping them cooped up at home far more this year. According to reports, the top six broadcast networks, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, and CNN, only received 6.13 million viewers combined during air time of the convention this year.“

  509. Juice Box says:

    How much time are the giving Hillary tonight? This one I have got to see, she cannot help herself ya know, she may single handedly cost Joe Biden this election. There is going to be another on of those “basket of deplorables” comments for sure.

  510. Phoenix says:

    LW,
    Here is part of the article. Why would a “whistleblower” need to call the police if the government was notified?
    Many of these places have big problems, poor staffing as they refuse to pay well. I am not defending Murphy but I have no doubt about cover-ups in places like this.

    “The call for body bags came late Saturday.

    By Monday, the police in a small New Jersey town had gotten an anonymous tip about a body being stored in a shed outside one of the state’s largest nursing homes.

    When the police arrived, the corpse had been removed from the shed, but they discovered 17 bodies piled inside the nursing home in a small morgue intended to hold no more than four people.”
    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/15/nyregion/coronavirus-nj-andover-nursing-home-deaths.html

  511. leftwing says:

    “Another cancel culture as*hole”

    Good. The Left is so fcuking STUPID. They start these fights without any foresight whatsoever to the consequences…..McConnell literally begged the Senate dems when they had a majority to not drop the 60 vote required rule for judicial appointments when Rs blocked many of their picks….Dems did, and what happened? Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh. Idiots.

    So, yeah, as the Orange Freak says two can play that game…..

    And btw it was pretty offensive…..the material said BLM was approved but Blue Lives or All Lives weren’t…..sure, not political…..

    https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/08/19/goodyear-forbid-maga-gear/

  512. Phoenix says:

    Joe Biden already lost.
    He just does not know it yet.
    Then again he probably does not know it’s Wednesday.

  513. Phoenix says:

    It’s the boomer left that is stupid. The boomers are the majority of voters.

  514. leftwing says:

    Goodyear corporate is disclaiming knowledge of the slide but put out the statement below….

    So, two questions….

    If an employee is using unauthorized materials in HR sanctioned events when was he fired?

    And, so the coporation is ‘inclusive’ and ‘respectful’ if and only if the opinions held are deemed acceptable like ‘racial justice’ or ‘racial equity’? I can’t believe someone was dumb enough to actually write admit that….

    “Goodyear is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful workplace where all of our associates can do their best in a spirit of teamwork. As part of this commitment, we do allow our associates to express their support on racial injustice and other equity issues…”

  515. homeboken says:

    Juice – I am guessing that Hillary is going to give the “I told you so, America” speech. That will be painful to watch and will only damage Hunter’s Dad.

  516. AP says:

    3b, Monmouth Co vs Bergen is interesting. Would you say that for the exact same house and similar school district you’d pick Monmouth?

  517. Fabius Maximus says:

    So we are now its “Take your MAGA to work day!”

  518. ExEssex says:

    I’m fascinated with the pathology on this board.

  519. ExEssex says:

    6:53 she won the popular vote. Her resume is actually impressive next to Trumps.
    Trump is a laughing stock Putin-fan boy…..Mitch McConnell is Satan himself.

  520. Wednesday Hide TheBodies says:

    Noticing a pattern here. Before virus this use to be mainly a M-F 9-5 goofing off at work posting. There were times no one posted after 6pm till next day.

    Now, I bet that 60% of the posters are drunk or high, with Vomitus Pumpkinatus excused as he’s a tard.

    Now fess us you ruffians, admit that you are under the influence and half of you are waking up now.

  521. 3b says:

    AP Yes I would. Just like the whole feel of Monmouth, and it’s less congested and much cleaner than Bergen Co. Bergen is a better commute at least theoretically than Monmouth, but that does not really matter any more.

  522. 3b says:

    Ex As a politician she has the resume you win on that . Her record , well
    As NY Senator she failed in her promise to bring jobs to upstate NY which was a big promise of hers. And as Secretary of State, well she failed.

  523. Juice Box says:

    We gentle folk down Here in Monmouth don’t Want you New Yawkers moving down here and crowding up our Congestion free roads, So stay on your own turf Bennies. I will make an exception for my Bronx Boy 3B but only if I get to pick out his new tattoo.

  524. 3b says:

    30 Why is one ok and not the other?

  525. Juice Box says:

    You guys are nuts, crooked Hillary did nothing in Congress. Here is her legislative record., Named two roads and a monument. That is all she accomplished in the a Senate.

    https://www.congress.gov/member/hillary-clinton/C001041?q=%7B%22congress%22:%22all%22,%22sponsorship%22:%22sponsored%22,%22type%22:%22bills%22,%22bill-status%22:%22law%22%7D&searchResultViewType=expanded

  526. Juice Box says:

    Negative Ghost rider the “pattern“ is full. I am neither waking up or high. When I do drink I am Usually in bed early, That is after a nice swim in my pool and staring at the stars from my WT hot tub.

  527. leftwing says:

    “Now fess us you ruffians, admit that you are under the influence and half of you are waking up now.”

    Lol, I noticed the same thing on posting times….wondered how people actually worked, it used to be a graveyard in here post work hours….now, lots of late pm and early am stuff….

    Me…if I’m in here early and frequently I’m fcuked, lol. Means I’ve hit my daily max loss in the market and shut it down….conversely, late and ornery means I’ve usually had a pretty good day and have a major woody… and often some Woodford (like now lol, thanks to some SPY and KODK puts, kinda banged up). Popping in and out, relatively docile = flat BS market and p/l. LOL.

  528. leftwing says:

    “You guys are nuts, crooked Hillary did nothing in Congress. Here is her legislative record., Named two roads and a monument. That is all she accomplished in the a Senate.”

    LOL, how quaint…people actually think HRC went to the Senate to accomplish something? It was a ST rental, a political Airbnb, nothing more and nothing less.

    Like everything Clinton, pure usury, solely for personal benefit.

    But, remember, they do “feel your pain”. Because for some indecipherable reason stating that matters to the Left. LOLOLOL.

  529. 30 year realtor says:

    3b,

    It is all the same. That is why it was funny.

  530. Juice box says:

    Kamala is on!

  531. homeboken says:

    Into day 3 of the DNC:

    # of times the word “Impeachment” said = 0
    # of times the word “China” said = 1

    Weird to me. Didn’t we spend months on impeachment? Wasn’t DJT “impeached forever?” Per Nancy P?

  532. 3b says:

    30 Years: Understand now.

  533. Juice box says:

    Atilis Gym hit with massive fines, vow appeal their go fund me is now over $300,000

    https://www.phillyvoice.com/atilis-gym-new-jersey-superior-court-judge-ruling-covid-19-restrictions/

  534. ExEssex says:

    Gun Laws
    Clean Energy
    Billie Eilish
    Immigration … marine veteran deported to Mexico tsk tsk

  535. 3b says:

    I am logged in earlier at work than if I were in the office, and still get to sleep an hour later. Also no interruptions at home, and no noise, so gets lots done quickly. Last Sunday was miserable weather so banged out two days of work in a few hours. So all and all more time to post. WFH is great!! Just wish we could resume our regular extracurricular activities.

  536. 3b says:

    Heard some of the speakers from last
    Night at the Dems convention, and you would think the USA was the most horrible country in the world. This negativity is not going to play with a lot of people. Also sounds like the Dems want more wars.

  537. Juice Box says:

    Crypt-keeper Pelosi and then Crooked Hillary up next, don’t fall back asleep Joe!

    Quick get your Biden-Harris face mask for You can proudly wear to work now, before they are sold out!

    https://store.joebiden.com/Biden-Harris-facemask/

  538. ExEssex says:

    Nancy sounded excellent.
    Can’t wait for the GOP to ignite the audience
    with the latest Q Anon trope.

  539. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    I just made a lobster roll from new shell Maine Lobsters from Point Lobster Company. Used buffalo butter imported from Italy. Incredible.

  540. Juice Box says:

    I love point lobster, I will be picking up a few for my annual Labor Day disco lobster party, their prices drop allot in winter too, great time to go and stock up.

  541. Phoenix says:

    “Atilis Gym hit with massive fines, vow appeal their go fund me is now over $300,000”

    Can’t pick and choose which laws you like to follow. That makes for a lawless society.
    I’d love to crank my Audi up to triple digits all day but no go.

    You wanna play you gotta pay.

  542. Phoenix says:

    Crypt-keeper Pelosi and then Crooked Hillary up next, don’t fall back asleep Joe!

    Waste of time watching them.
    There is nothing coming out of their Janus faced mouths I would believe.

    They lie almost as much as the Orange one.
    Today saw my first live spotted lanternfly, a byproduct of American capitalism and outsourcing.
    Nasty looking thing. They are gradually taking over NJ. Time for more farmer subsidies.
    Better get your wine tasting done cause these decimate grapes.

  543. Chi in LBI says:

    You forgot that you don’t have to drive to the beach.

    3b says:
    August 19, 2020 at 8:01 pm
    AP Yes I would. Just like the whole feel of Monmouth, and it’s less congested and much cleaner than Bergen Co. Bergen is a better commute at least theoretically than Monmouth, but that does not really matter any more.

  544. Juice Box says:

    Kamala had no pics of her dad in the montage and Just threw him under the bus.

  545. Juice Box says:

    Lol clapping soundtrack to an empty room in Delaware….

  546. ExEssex says:

    10:57 ….he left when she was five…..

    Trump is done folks. This is a winning ticket.

  547. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    I love point lobster, I will be picking up a few for my annual Labor Day disco lobster party, their prices drop allot in winter too, great time to go and stock up.

    I got 2 lobsters, 2 Fluke filets, 1 Sea bass, $25. Can’t beat it. If they ever have Locally caught Flounder, it’s a must.

  548. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    I grew up in Bergen County and moved to Monmouth right before high school. Life is a lot more slow paced in Monmouth. People are more friendly. Weather is nicer. No comparable congestion anywhere. Obviously, seafood is superior in Monmouth. Overall, food is better in Bergen IMO. Homes are nicer in Monmouth County.

    In today’s environment where you likely won’t have to go into the city everyday anymore, I’d go Monmouth easily over Bergen. Places like Wall or Deal have very easy access to the Parkway.

  549. joyce says:

    Sure you can. These clowns notwithstanding. It’s called civil disobedience.

    Phoenix says:
    August 19, 2020 at 10:26 pm
    “Atilis Gym hit with massive fines, vow appeal their go fund me is now over $300,000”

    Can’t pick and choose which laws you like to follow. That makes for a lawless society.
    I’d love to crank my Audi up to triple digits all day but no go.

    You wanna play you gotta pay.

  550. Juice nox says:

    569 comments..this thread is getting long in the tooth.

Comments are closed.