New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[Hairy]

Home office in the corner of the lounge just set up a few minutes ago - note the congratulatory mug of tea. Not perfect ergonomics, but better than a kick in the pants.  

are those two photos on the bottom right the same photo, just different sizes and B&W vs colour?

[Hairy]

Home office in the corner of the lounge just set up a few minutes ago - note the congratulatory mug of tea. Not perfect ergonomics, but better than a kick in the pants.  

The one think that irks me with my dual monitor setup is that they are not the same make or size, so they do not line up nicely like yours do!

[intern]

Home office in the corner of the lounge just set up a few minutes ago - note the congratulatory mug of tea. Not perfect ergonomics, but better than a kick in the pants.  

 

I've been working from home for 20 years...and your office looks way more professional than mine!

[intern]

Not sure about how other chaps and chappettes are doing, so here's me:

Have lost probably half of my clients. Luckily I have clients in Australia where they are still working.

There is little prospect of those lost clients starting up again any time soon.

I have put my boat up for sale at a discount, because a) lots of people have a bit of money now thanks to the Govt paying everyone out and b) within a few months or a year's time, you'll have any number of boats to choose from. And within a few months or a year, it is going to be difficult or impossible to sell anything (advice I saw in a 'finance' column the other day said 'if the going gets tough, consider selling one of your cars to become a 1 car family....uh, yeh, when the going gets tough, you ain't selling nuthin mate). Of course, now I wonder if holding cash is going to be better than holding a good, because the value of cash is about to hit reverse itself.

Right now, I am not sure how I feel about home ownership vs not having a home. The market is about to lose 20 percent or more as there will be no buyers (I very nearly upgraded to a flash house towards the end of last year...thank heavens that fell through, the last thing I need right now is more debt). With around 60 or 70 percent equity in our place and a mortgage barely in 3 figures, and no car boat or other debt, I suppose our wicket is OK but that position is likely to deteriorate rapidly as the equity evaporates. I'd convince my wife to sell her M3 while there may be some buyers out there, but that ain't gonna happen.

Cutting all luxuries. Planning on making regular (daily) trips to the supermarket and stocking up on semi durable foods, because all that stuff is going to get expensive and fast (you can't knock out half or more of the supply chain and expect pricing to stay steady - even if Jacinda decides bureaucrats must decide 'fair' pricing). And you know what? Hoarding in this climate is a perfectly rational response. The ethics, we can discuss another day. I am not stocking up on TP, though, let's not go completely crazy.

I'm probably one of the luckier ones, because the nature of my work means I am still working quite a lot, despite shrinking client numbers, and I also work through good times and bad because companies still need comms even if it is announcing cutbacks, setbacks and closures.

But I am chafing BIG time at the restrictions on movement etc, though it hasn't yet directly affected me in any way (I still walk the dog, get fresh air etc, and am concetrating on wheelie practice on the MTB because I can't piss the neighbours off with the dirt bike...which is what I really want to practice wheelies on). The chafe is made worse by the Stasi attitude of the cops, from Mike Bush to letters from the District Policing head, and then that unreconstructed moron David Clark going for a drive and a mountain bike in the very same week our head constable expressly told us plebs we are not to go mountain biking.

This whole thing is a giant stuff up. Batten down the hatches, team, because we're gonna get hungry soon.

Oh, and happy Friday people. May you be healthy, well and happy today and into the weekend. Take care of your families.

[intern]

Oh David Clark is the Minister of Health, for those who don't know.

[patham]

are those two photos on the bottom right the same photo, just different sizes and B&W vs colour?

 

No, you are just seeing double 

 

Actually, you are very observant, and they are indeed the same source image. I just swept all photos on the ledge to one side, ruining the artistic effect of the earlier arranging. Although having said that, if I look at the same combination of pics now in real life, from the right angle it looks pretty cool- like a stereographic image.

[patham]

The one think that irks me with my dual monitor setup is that they are not the same make or size, so they do not line up nicely like yours do!

 

A fairly recent upgrade. Our little business unit was doing quite well last year, and some-one requested to swop out their collection of random assorted monitors. The budget request was approved and it turned into an Oprah-fest of "Here's two monitors for You, two new monitors for You, new monitors for EVERYONE !!!!" 

 

We were surrounded by cardboard boxes and styrofoam for a few days..... 

[patham]

I've been working from home for 20 years...and your office looks way more professional than mine!

 

It has already deteriorated into a much higher degree of entropy. Loose cables for headphone and mobile charging, papers, keys and other detritus have piled up rapidly.

[intern]

It has already deteriorated into a much higher degree of entropy. Loose cables for headphone and mobile charging, papers, keys and other detritus have piled up rapidly.

 

Ha, all this time and the answer to my shambles was obvious! Disaster, thy name is ENTROPY! haha - gave me a good laugh thanks for that.

[patham]

Not sure about how other chaps and chappettes are doing, so here's me:

Have lost probably half of my clients. Luckily I have clients in Australia where they are still working.

There is little prospect of those lost clients starting up again any time soon.

I have put my boat up for sale at a discount, because a) lots of people have a bit of money now thanks to the Govt paying everyone out and b) within a few months or a year's time, you'll have any number of boats to choose from. And within a few months or a year, it is going to be difficult or impossible to sell anything (advice I saw in a 'finance' column the other day said 'if the going gets tough, consider selling one of your cars to become a 1 car family....uh, yeh, when the going gets tough, you ain't selling nuthin mate). Of course, now I wonder if holding cash is going to be better than holding a good, because the value of cash is about to hit reverse itself.

Right now, I am not sure how I feel about home ownership vs not having a home. The market is about to lose 20 percent or more as there will be no buyers (I very nearly upgraded to a flash house towards the end of last year...thank heavens that fell through, the last thing I need right now is more debt). With around 60 or 70 percent equity in our place and a mortgage barely in 3 figures, and no car boat or other debt, I suppose our wicket is OK but that position is likely to deteriorate rapidly as the equity evaporates. I'd convince my wife to sell her M3 while there may be some buyers out there, but that ain't gonna happen.

Cutting all luxuries. Planning on making regular (daily) trips to the supermarket and stocking up on semi durable foods, because all that stuff is going to get expensive and fast (you can't knock out half or more of the supply chain and expect pricing to stay steady - even if Jacinda decides bureaucrats must decide 'fair' pricing). And you know what? Hoarding in this climate is a perfectly rational response. The ethics, we can discuss another day. I am not stocking up on TP, though, let's not go completely crazy.

I'm probably one of the luckier ones, because the nature of my work means I am still working quite a lot, despite shrinking client numbers, and I also work through good times and bad because companies still need comms even if it is announcing cutbacks, setbacks and closures.

But I am chafing BIG time at the restrictions on movement etc, though it hasn't yet directly affected me in any way (I still walk the dog, get fresh air etc, and am concetrating on wheelie practice on the MTB because I can't piss the neighbours off with the dirt bike...which is what I really want to practice wheelies on). The chafe is made worse by the Stasi attitude of the cops, from Mike Bush to letters from the District Policing head, and then that unreconstructed moron David Clark going for a drive and a mountain bike in the very same week our head constable expressly told us plebs we are not to go mountain biking.

This whole thing is a giant stuff up. Batten down the hatches, team, because we're gonna get hungry soon.

Oh, and happy Friday people. May you be healthy, well and happy today and into the weekend. Take care of your families.

 

A big post, and it may take a while for me to digest it. The one thing I will comment on is that from a macro-economics viewpoint we are likely to have massive deflationary and inflationary pressures on at the same time. 

 

The deflation comes from the fact that discretionary spending will be way down, no-one will be buying stuff if they don't have a secure income. So in theory prices should fall. However, with governments printing money worldwide, the value of said money should reduce, causing inflation.

 

Who knows what the end result is from those. I just know that the government money is not free and that some-one will end up paying for it.   

[patches]

Sorry to hear that Intern. Most of us will fair pretty well health-wise, but all of us, to some degree or another, will feel the financial burden of what's happening.

 

Hopefully in 6 months time, when we're not afraid to shake hands anymore. When daylight savings is over. We can spend time outside hiking, biking, and whatever-icking wherever we want. And then I'll take you up on ad dirt bike adventure around Whaka-town!

 

As for my end, our client base is about to go through the roof. But that is NOT a good thing.

 

Our team is working tirelessly (and has been for the past 3-4 weeks to identify areas where we have additional hospital capacity. We've created staged plans for changing models of care as the situation gets worse. And we're basically doing everything we can to keep the facilities running and avoid the overwhelming of our healthcare system.

 

Right now I can hear the cling-clang-cling of hammers erecting scaffolding outside my office. They're erecting pre-triage facilities for the potential influx.

 

The main hospital building, although teaming with essential workers, is on a sort of lock-down on its own. Security is everywhere. Even us staff have to swipe in to the main doors each time we go in. And virtually no general public wandering around like they usually do.

 

No visitors allowed on site unless they are:

• the parent/guardian of a child (under 18) in the hospitals care
• the birthing partner of a women in labour
• visitors to a patient near end of life
• people who assist with the continuation of care

It's crazy times and I fear that we are only at the beginning. 

 

But I too count myself fortunate. I still get to go to work each day (and the commute is amazing). My employment is pretty stable.

 

And as an added bonus, my DHB staff ID lets me cut in the font of the queues at New World and Pak n Save 

[intern]

A big post, and it may take a while for me to digest it. The one thing I will comment on is that from a macro-economics viewpoint we are likely to have massive deflationary and inflationary pressures on at the same time. 

 

The deflation comes from the fact that discretionary spending will be way down, no-one will be buying stuff if they don't have a secure income. So in theory prices should fall. However, with governments printing money worldwide, the value of said money should reduce, causing inflation.

 

Who knows what the end result is from those. I just know that the government money is not free and that some-one will end up paying for it.   

 

I think they call that stagflation. Money is only valuable when it is backed by productivity. Productivity is compromised globally...productivity also gives us everything we eat, use, wear, etc. Money does none of those things, so govt printing and dishing money isn't a medium or long term solution. People now with an extra couple thousand *(unearned) are going to blow that, fast. And you're right, someone has to pay, and it will be those (like me) who are fortunate enough to be able to be productive even when all else is grinding to a halt.

[intern]

Sorry to hear that Intern. Most of us will fair pretty well health-wise, but all of us, to some degree or another, will feel the financial burden of what's happening.

 

Hopefully in 6 months time, when we're not afraid to shake hands anymore. When daylight savings is over. We can spend time outside hiking, biking, and whatever-icking wherever we want. And then I'll take you up on ad dirt bike adventure around Whaka-town!

 

As for my end, our client base is about to go through the roof. But that is NOT a good thing.

 

Our team is working tirelessly (and has been for the past 3-4 weeks to identify areas where we have additional hospital capacity. We've created staged plans for changing models of care as the situation gets worse. And we're basically doing everything we can to keep the facilities running and avoid the overwhelming of our healthcare system.

 

Right now I can hear the cling-clang-cling of hammers erecting scaffolding outside my office. They're erecting pre-triage facilities for the potential influx.

 

The main hospital building, although teaming with essential workers, is on a sort of lock-down on its own. Security is everywhere. Even us staff have to swipe in to the main doors each time we go in. And virtually no general public wandering around like they usually do.

 

No visitors allowed on site unless they are:

• the parent/guardian of a child (under 18) in the hospitals care
• the birthing partner of a women in labour
• visitors to a patient near end of life
• people who assist with the continuation of care

It's crazy times and I fear that we are only at the beginning. 

 

But I too count myself fortunate. I still get to go to work each day (and the commute is amazing). My employment is pretty stable.

 

And as an added bonus, my DHB staff ID lets me cut in the font of the queues at New World and Pak n Save 

 

Thanks Patch, but don't feel sorry for me - I still have work, quite a lot of it (roughly the same as usual, TBH) and I am unlikely to suffer beyond losing equity in my house - which is nothing more than a perception thing anyway, as equity isn't quite the same as money in the bank.

But ja. Everything is going to get more expensive, shortages are inevitable, and luxuries are well off the table.

[patches]

This is where I spend most of my waking hours in "isolation".

 

 

I usually work out of our project office, which is a lot more modern and flash, and only spend 1-day a week in my little office in the 1918, no aircon, asbestos ridden, possibly haunted, old nurses building. But because the project office is open plan and a 10min walk from the hospital, our core team has been called back to the hospital for Covid response, and the rest of the project team is working from home.

[intern]

Just a side note, you know someone is a meneer when they have 2+ monitors 

[patches]

Just a side note, you know someone is a meneer when they have 2+ monitors 

 

 

In that case, my former colleague must have been an undercover-CEO 

 

 

2x 23" HP Monitors rotated vertically and 1x 40" Philips 4K monitor (which he brought from home).

 

We all think he was "compensating"

Edited April 2, 2020 by patches