The Quarantine Thread

[China]

Four in ten students using more drugs and drinking more

 

The use of narcotics increased significantly among higher education students since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with four in ten students saying that they now use more alcohol and drugs, according to a study among over 7 thousand students by Lieve Mark, ANP reports.

 

Of students who currently are not satisfied with their lives, 50 percent said they drink more or use more drugs. Among the rest, this was 31 percent. "Students have been tiptoeing for so long that they have started to see alcohol or drugs as a way out to feel better. That is very worrying," researcher Zelda Geels said.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[dfitzo53]

In the population at large too I'm sure.

[China]

Home sweet home: 1 in 3 remote workers say they’ll quit if they have to go back to the office!

 

 If you think working remotely is a fad that will leave with the coronavirus pandemic, think again! Over a third of Americans currently working remotely would quit on the spot if they had to go into the office, according to a new survey.

 

The poll of 2,000 Americans reveals that nearly half (49%) started a new job within the past year and 55 percent currently work remotely. Nearly four in 10 remote workers (39%) would rather take a pay cut than step foot in an office. For comparison, 45 percent of in-person employees say they wouldn’t give up the extra dough and can power through being surrounded by cubicles and co-workers.

 

Commissioned by Wise­­­­tail and conducted by OnePoll, the study asked both types of employees to share their thoughts on a number of different issues. Researchers find the majority of remote workers (59%) feel like their company puts them first. Meanwhile, 49 percent of in-office workers hold the same belief.

 

In addition to feeling like a priority, more remote workers also feel like their company has made strides to improve employee treatment (52% vs. 39%), relax sick leave policies (57% vs. 48%), and offer better health insurance options (43% vs. 31%) in comparison to on-site workers.

 

Click on the link for the full article

------------------

 

On the other hand...

 

Attention All You Millennials: Get Ready to Go Back to the Office! | Opinion

 

Back to Work: Maybe things will be looking up COVID-wise by the summer or fall if Texas doesn't screw everything up. But, variants aside, it's clear there's some light at the end of the tunnel. That means that the great debate has begun on how the-back-to-the-office thing is going to go, especially for younger folks. Full-time? Part-time? Ever? There are a few clues already. The usual tech suspects, like Facebook, are keen to let anyone work anywhere—as long as they're not paid West Coast wages in Kansas. On the other hand, you have Goldman Sachs. Its CEO, David Solomon, told a conference in England last month that he wants everyone back. He's worried, among other things, that his young employees won't get much mentoring hanging out with the cat and refrigerator. Remote working is "an aberration that we are going to correct as quickly as possible," Solomon said per Marke****ch. Other Wall Streeters feel the same way. Most companies, though, seem to be in no man's land. Those firms are worried about both the lack of connection and coming back too soon. A PriceWaterhouseCoopers executive survey, conducted in December is a mixed bag. The execs liked that "efficiency" was up—24/7, baby!—and more than 80 percent said the great remote work experiment was successful. But if you were trying to sell those same execs on the work-remote-all-the-time deal, they weren't buying. Most of them—68 percent—said a typical employee should be in the office at least three days a week "to maintain a distinct company culture." Otherwise, Deniz Caglar of PwC told me, "out of sight could easily be out of mind." He added: "Employees' connectivity with each other and with the company could erode over time." More PwC: only 13 percent of the executives surveyed were "prepared to let workers out of the office 'for good'." So how will this shake out? The three-day office thing sounds good to start. But when the health situation is back to normal, the boss will want you back. So unless the variants get to us, put the "everything has changed forever" thing in the rear view mirror. Oh, and by the way: should I short Zoom's stock? Just wondering.

 

Click on the link for more

[PleaseBlitz]

Seeing as we are getting pretty close to the end of this brutal year-long social crisis, does anyone have a list of things they plan to do once you get vaccinated or if the infections rates simply say it's safe in your area?

 

I've been keeping a list for literally a year, and I won't post the whole thing because it's very long (and some things, like go see a Caps game are still not really on the table yet), but here are a few.  Would love to hear everyone else's ideas.

 

• Big cookout with non-pod friends
• Go to the brewery that recently opened near my house
• Go camping with daughter
• Eat out at very long list of restaurants
• Go to the beach
• Go to a Nats game
• Sign kids back up for in-person activities (swimming, etc.)
• Go walk around:  Old Town ALX, the National Mall, Annapolis, Navy Yard, 

[Simmsy]

20 hours ago, China said:

Home sweet home: 1 in 3 remote workers say they’ll quit if they have to go back to the office!

 

 If you think working remotely is a fad that will leave with the coronavirus pandemic, think again! Over a third of Americans currently working remotely would quit on the spot if they had to go into the office, according to a new survey.

 

The poll of 2,000 Americans reveals that nearly half (49%) started a new job within the past year and 55 percent currently work remotely. Nearly four in 10 remote workers (39%) would rather take a pay cut than step foot in an office. For comparison, 45 percent of in-person employees say they wouldn’t give up the extra dough and can power through being surrounded by cubicles and co-workers.

 

Commissioned by Wise­­­­tail and conducted by OnePoll, the study asked both types of employees to share their thoughts on a number of different issues. Researchers find the majority of remote workers (59%) feel like their company puts them first. Meanwhile, 49 percent of in-office workers hold the same belief.

 

In addition to feeling like a priority, more remote workers also feel like their company has made strides to improve employee treatment (52% vs. 39%), relax sick leave policies (57% vs. 48%), and offer better health insurance options (43% vs. 31%) in comparison to on-site workers.

 

Click on the link for the full article

------------------

 

On the other hand...

 

Attention All You Millennials: Get Ready to Go Back to the Office! | Opinion

 

Back to Work: Maybe things will be looking up COVID-wise by the summer or fall if Texas doesn't screw everything up. But, variants aside, it's clear there's some light at the end of the tunnel. That means that the great debate has begun on how the-back-to-the-office thing is going to go, especially for younger folks. Full-time? Part-time? Ever? There are a few clues already. The usual tech suspects, like Facebook, are keen to let anyone work anywhere—as long as they're not paid West Coast wages in Kansas. On the other hand, you have Goldman Sachs. Its CEO, David Solomon, told a conference in England last month that he wants everyone back. He's worried, among other things, that his young employees won't get much mentoring hanging out with the cat and refrigerator. Remote working is "an aberration that we are going to correct as quickly as possible," Solomon said per Marke****ch. Other Wall Streeters feel the same way. Most companies, though, seem to be in no man's land. Those firms are worried about both the lack of connection and coming back too soon. A PriceWaterhouseCoopers executive survey, conducted in December is a mixed bag. The execs liked that "efficiency" was up—24/7, baby!—and more than 80 percent said the great remote work experiment was successful. But if you were trying to sell those same execs on the work-remote-all-the-time deal, they weren't buying. Most of them—68 percent—said a typical employee should be in the office at least three days a week "to maintain a distinct company culture." Otherwise, Deniz Caglar of PwC told me, "out of sight could easily be out of mind." He added: "Employees' connectivity with each other and with the company could erode over time." More PwC: only 13 percent of the executives surveyed were "prepared to let workers out of the office 'for good'." So how will this shake out? The three-day office thing sounds good to start. But when the health situation is back to normal, the boss will want you back. So unless the variants get to us, put the "everything has changed forever" thing in the rear view mirror. Oh, and by the way: should I short Zoom's stock? Just wondering.

 

Click on the link for more

I literally just talked to two homeowners today who have been working remotely, they don't want to go back either. They were two of the nicest, happiest people I've ever met (no joke). Not saying thats because they get to work at home, but I'm sure that helps.

[China]

2021’s Happiest Cities in America

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the average person’s stress level to increase significantly for the first time since 2007. Therefore, it’s vital for people to boost their happiness however they can, whether through family, friends, activities, entertainment or work. What people might not realize is that where they live may also determine how happy they are.

 

Location plays a hand in how bright or gloomy our days are. For years, researchers have studied the science of happiness and found that its key ingredients include a positive mental state, healthy body, strong social connections, job satisfaction and financial well-being. However, money can only make you so happy – people who make $75,000 a year won’t get any higher satisfaction from more money. Consider also the fact that while the U.S. is one of the richest countries, it ranks only 18th on the World Happiness Report.

 

But not everywhere in the U.S. experiences a uniform level of happiness. As this study aims to illustrate, moving to a certain city may help you be more content. WalletHub drew upon the various findings of positive-psychology research in order to determine which among more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities is home to the happiest people in America. We examined each city based on 31 key indicators of happiness, ranging from the depression rate to the income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day.

 

182.    Detroit, MI

164.    Charleston, WV

160.    Philadelphia, PA

157.    Baltimore, MD

122.    New York, NY

99.    Los Angeles, CA

84.    Chicago, IL

51.    Washington, DC

20.    Seattle, WA

13.    San Francisco, CA

3.    Fargo, ND

2.    Bismarck, ND

1.    Fremont, CA

 

Click on the link for more

-------------------

 

And FYI, if you want to know about happiest states:

 

Happiest States in the U.S.

 

1.    Hawaii

5.    Maryland

6.    California

14.    Virginia

50.   West Virginia

 

Click on the link for more

[EmirOfShmo]

7 hours ago, PleaseBlitz said:

Seeing as we are getting pretty close to the end of this brutal year-long social crisis, does anyone have a list of things they plan to do once you get vaccinated or if the infections rates simply say it's safe in your area?

 

I've been keeping a list for literally a year, and I won't post the whole thing because it's very long (and some things, like go see a Caps game are still not really on the table yet), but here are a few.  Would love to hear everyone else's ideas.

 

• Big cookout with non-pod friends
• Go to the brewery that recently opened near my house
• Go camping with daughter
• Eat out at very long list of restaurants
• Go to the beach
• Go to a Nats game
• Sign kids back up for in-person activities (swimming, etc.)
• Go walk around:  Old Town ALX, the National Mall, Annapolis, Navy Yard, 

Pretty much the same for me. I'll add a couple:

• Aruba for multiple nights before the end of April
• Virginia wineries - numerous nice places to hang out near Charlottesville (yes, I know multiple in Leesburg, too). If you haven't been to Pippin Hill or Mount Ida - make a trip to C'ville for a few nights & enjoy the wine & the views. Add several other wineries (sans Trump Winery) and you have a great weekend. Boars Head resort or other places to stay in the area are great.
• Plan a multi-week stay in early 2022 in the Caribbean. 
• We know some peeps here in RVA who have put their restaurants on hold for a while. We'll be hitting them up a lot. One such badass chef we know will be on Top Chef on TV April 1st. She's awesome & her RVA restaurants are incredible: 
  • https://dc.eater.com/2021/2/8/22273281/top-chef-portland-brittanny-anderson-richmond-virginia-dc-leni-the-roost

Edited March 10, 2021 by EmirOfShmo

[TheGreatBuzz]

7 hours ago, PleaseBlitz said:

Seeing as we are getting pretty close to the end of this brutal year-long social crisis, does anyone have a list of things they plan to do once you get vaccinated or if the infections rates simply say it's safe in your area?

 

I've been keeping a list for literally a year, and I won't post the whole thing because it's very long (and some things, like go see a Caps game are still not really on the table yet), but here are a few.  Would love to hear everyone else's ideas.

 

• Big cookout with non-pod friends
• Go to the brewery that recently opened near my house
• Go camping with daughter
• Eat out at very long list of restaurants
• Go to the beach
• Go to a Nats game
• Sign kids back up for in-person activities (swimming, etc.)
• Go walk around:  Old Town ALX, the National Mall, Annapolis, Navy Yard, 

 

Being military, there are more restrictions on what I can do compared to civilians.  That does make it easier to come up with a list of things I look forward to doing though.  Here is my list:

 

-anything

[Captain Wiggles]

Had planned on going to concerts once this all ended. Tho the closest my favorite band is playing is AC n Nashville. 😒

 

What I'm thinking now is rent a car this summer n go on a baseball stadium tour of the NE n midwest with my best friend. Nats Park is closest so start there n head north then west. 

 

 

 

[JCB]

Eat out. Play music with my bandmates. Play ultimate frisbee. Teach in a freaking classroom.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

12 hours ago, PleaseBlitz said:

Seeing as we are getting pretty close to the end of this brutal year-long social crisis, does anyone have a list of things they plan to do once you get vaccinated or if the infections rates simply say it's safe in your area?

 

I've been keeping a list for literally a year, and I won't post the whole thing because it's very long (and some things, like go see a Caps game are still not really on the table yet), but here are a few.  Would love to hear everyone else's ideas.

 

• Big cookout with non-pod friends
• Go to the brewery that recently opened near my house
• Go camping with daughter
• Eat out at very long list of restaurants
• Go to the beach
• Go to a Nats game
• Sign kids back up for in-person activities (swimming, etc.)
• Go walk around:  Old Town ALX, the National Mall, Annapolis, Navy Yard, 

 

 

• Start licking doorknobs again
• Let old lady Booneshaft down the street french kiss me
• Run open-mouthed into a stranger's sneeze
• Lay in the middle of the street and feel the fear that a car may actually drive by and run over me
• Go to the beach in nothing but a Borat-style mask thong
• Fake as if I'm constantly coughing long and hard while grocery shopping
• Shake people's hands for 2 hours straight
• Prostitutes, baby!!
• Shave

[Jabbyrwock]

3 hours ago, Califan007 said:

• Prostitutes, baby!!
• Shave

 

You're going to shave prostitutes?

 

🤔

 

...seems about right.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

14 minutes ago, Jabbyrwock said:

 

You're going to shave prostitutes?

 

🤔

 

...seems about right.

 

 

Yep...Wax is getting expensive.

 

 

[TheMalcolmConnection]

9 hours ago, EmirOfShmo said:

Pretty much the same for me. I'll add a couple:

• Aruba for multiple nights before the end of April
• Virginia wineries - numerous nice places to hang out near Charlottesville (yes, I know multiple in Leesburg, too). If you haven't been to Pippin Hill or Mount Ida - make a trip to C'ville for a few nights & enjoy the wine & the views. Add several other wineries (sans Trump Winery) and you have a great weekend. Boars Head resort or other places to stay in the area are great.
• Plan a multi-week stay in early 2022 in the Caribbean. 
• We know some peeps here in RVA who have put their restaurants on hold for a while. We'll be hitting them up a lot. One such badass chef we know will be on Top Chef on TV April 1st. She's awesome & her RVA restaurants are incredible: 
  • https://dc.eater.com/2021/2/8/22273281/top-chef-portland-brittanny-anderson-richmond-virginia-dc-leni-the-roost

My wife and I moved to Crozet right at the beginning of the pandemic and we second this. You can’t drive more than five miles around here without running into a brewery or winery. Pippin is great, but don’t sleep on King Family which we think has better wine and better views. 

[skinsmarydu]

I'm taking a road trip. 

[EmirOfShmo]

5 minutes ago, TheMalcolmConnection said:

My wife and I moved to Crozet right at the beginning of the pandemic and we second this. You can’t drive more than five miles around here without running into a brewery or winery. Pippin is great, but don’t sleep on King Family which we think has better wine and better views. 

Agree with you about King Family. There are so many good places to enjoy wine in the area. Oh, and breweries, too!

[China]

The Hours Americans Reclaimed by Sitting Less in Traffic

 

With fewer cars on the road last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Americans collectively claimed back millions of hours of time that they otherwise would have spent caught in traffic.

 

Drivers in the U.S. lost, on average, only 26 hours this year due to traffic, down from 99 hours in 2019, according to a new report from INRIX, Inc., a company that specializes in connected vehicle services and transportation analytics. Nationwide, drivers saved more than 3.4 billion hours, which the report says equates to $51 billion in time savings compared to 2019.

 

When looking specifically at major cities, traffic delays fell almost 50%, saving drivers an average of nearly 75 hours.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[skinsmarydu]

Oh...and a wicked relaxing spa weekend. 

[China]

How single Americans are getting through this pandemic dry spell alone

 

Single Americans have taken sex into their own hands since the pandemic began. The average single person is masturbating three times per day, according to new research. A poll of 2,005 single Americans found three in 10 are masturbating more than once a day — and just 14% doing it once a day. Masturbation has seen an uptick since March 2020 as nearly half (48%) are pleasuring themselves more frequently than ever before as a result of being indoors so much more. These solo sessions have led to some jaw-dropping orgasms — over a third (34%) experienced their best orgasm ever during the pandemic. What's led to this boom of mind-blowing pleasure? Three in 10 say trying a new position or technique has boosted their sex life amid the pandemic — like masturbating.

 

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of #LubeLife, the survey aimed to see how the pandemic has affected singles' sex lives and discovered over a quarter (26%) say they are watching more porn during the pandemic. Nearly half (47%) of those who are single surveyed say that they used to be embarrassed about masturbating, but since the pandemic began, they have become a lot more open to it. This new embrace of masturbation stems from the fact that 39% of respondents have experienced a dry spell in their sex lives since March 2020. And 59% of those don't plan on breaking their dry spell any time soon, even if the pandemic went away — with one in five saying they want to experiment with masturbation even more. One in 10 of those looking to extend their dry spell in a post-COVID world intend to do so because they PREFER masturbating now. That being said, 57% of those who've experienced a dry spell are worried about having sex for the first time after not experiencing it with a partner in a while.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Riggo-toni]

Fly out to visit my Mom

Take a road trip up the east coast

Go back to Italy

 

 

[mcsluggo]

15 hours ago, China said:

How single Americans are getting through this pandemic dry spell alone

 

Single Americans have taken sex into their own hands since the pandemic began. The average single person is masturbating three times per day, according to new research. A poll of 2,005 single Americans found three in 10 are masturbating more than once a day — and just 14% doing it once a day. Masturbation has seen an uptick since March 2020 as nearly half (48%) are pleasuring themselves more frequently than ever before as a result of being indoors so much more. These solo sessions have led to some jaw-dropping orgasms — over a third (34%) experienced their best orgasm ever during the pandemic. What's led to this boom of mind-blowing pleasure? Three in 10 say trying a new position or technique has boosted their sex life amid the pandemic — like masturbating.

 

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of #LubeLife, the survey aimed to see how the pandemic has affected singles' sex lives and discovered over a quarter (26%) say they are watching more porn during the pandemic. Nearly half (47%) of those who are single surveyed say that they used to be embarrassed about masturbating, but since the pandemic began, they have become a lot more open to it. This new embrace of masturbation stems from the fact that 39% of respondents have experienced a dry spell in their sex lives since March 2020. And 59% of those don't plan on breaking their dry spell any time soon, even if the pandemic went away — with one in five saying they want to experiment with masturbation even more. One in 10 of those looking to extend their dry spell in a post-COVID world intend to do so because they PREFER masturbating now. That being said, 57% of those who've experienced a dry spell are worried about having sex for the first time after not experiencing it with a partner in a while.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

 

[China]

On 3/11/2021 at 8:18 PM, China said:

How single Americans are getting through this pandemic dry spell alone

 

Single Americans have taken sex into their own hands since the pandemic began. The average single person is masturbating three times per day, according to new research. A poll of 2,005 single Americans found three in 10 are masturbating more than once a day — and just 14% doing it once a day. Masturbation has seen an uptick since March 2020 as nearly half (48%) are pleasuring themselves more frequently than ever before as a result of being indoors so much more. These solo sessions have led to some jaw-dropping orgasms — over a third (34%) experienced their best orgasm ever during the pandemic. What's led to this boom of mind-blowing pleasure? Three in 10 say trying a new position or technique has boosted their sex life amid the pandemic — like masturbating.

 

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of #LubeLife, the survey aimed to see how the pandemic has affected singles' sex lives and discovered over a quarter (26%) say they are watching more porn during the pandemic. Nearly half (47%) of those who are single surveyed say that they used to be embarrassed about masturbating, but since the pandemic began, they have become a lot more open to it. This new embrace of masturbation stems from the fact that 39% of respondents have experienced a dry spell in their sex lives since March 2020. And 59% of those don't plan on breaking their dry spell any time soon, even if the pandemic went away — with one in five saying they want to experiment with masturbation even more. One in 10 of those looking to extend their dry spell in a post-COVID world intend to do so because they PREFER masturbating now. That being said, 57% of those who've experienced a dry spell are worried about having sex for the first time after not experiencing it with a partner in a while.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

Futuristic VR Sex Is Now a Reality Thanks to This Ridiculously Affordable Gear

[China]

Dog food company wants to pay people $27 an hour to look at pictures of puppies

 

A dog food company on Wednesday announced that it wants to pay people $27 an hour to look at pictures of puppies.

 

ProDog Raw is looking to recruit 10 dog lovers to look at pictures of pups, as part of a study to test whether dogs on social media can alleviate people’s stress levels.

 

Over the course of the day-long study, each recruit will wear a heart rate monitor as they go about their normal daily activities, with the exception of taking hourly breaks to look at a series of pre-prepared dog images, the company said in a news release.

 

The heart rate data will then be collected and analyzed by a doctor who will work to identify key findings.

 

Participants will be sent a heart rate monitor to wear for the duration of the study, which will measure their stress levels throughout the study period. In an effort to get reliable and accurate readings, the company is requiring the participants to have no underlying health conditions, such as high blood pressure or arrhythmia.

 

The company is also requiring that all applicants have desk-based jobs where no manual work or activities are required.

 

People between the ages of 18 and 60 who are interested in applying can do so by clicking here.

[China]

West Virginia’s New Remote Worker Program Will Pay You $12,000 to Move There

 

Almost everything about the way we work has changed in the past year, from the technology we use, to where (and when) we clock in. Many people have come to enjoy the benefits of working from home — some become international digital nomads in countries like Dubai and Dominica, which are offering new extended-stay visa programs. For Americans, the latest place to launch a remote worker program is a bit closer to home: the Appalachian state of West Virginia.

 

Today, West Virginia announced a program called Ascend WV, which will pay people $12,000 and give them a year's worth of free outdoor recreation if they move to the Mountain State. The program is kicking off by accepting applicants who will commit to living in Morgantown (later cities will include Shepardstown and Lewisburg, one of America's favorite mountain towns.)

 

Click on the link for the full article

[JamesMadisonSkins]

Haven't really followed along on this thread. But from time to time I get caught off guard when I hear a friend or someone on social media reference being "holed up" and coming out for the first time? Like Lin Manuel getting his vaccine yesterday saying how weird it was to be out of his apartment for the first time.

 

Am I the only one that has been living normally? Is there that much of a disconnect out there?

 

Since about May I would say my wife and I have been living as we normally would except for wearing masks. We don't usually travel much anyway, and other than some friend get togethers, things have been fairly normal? I know I am not the only one because going about life in northern Virginia and clearly things are pretty normal and have been mostly since summer, except for not going into the office ... which has been kind of sweet.

 

I know people who live in the south and they basically never really even shut down. Life as normal except not as much travel. But then I see the occasional person saying they haven't gone to the store in over a year and I'm like ... eh?

27 minutes ago, China said:

West Virginia’s New Remote Worker Program Will Pay You $12,000 to Move There

 

Almost everything about the way we work has changed in the past year, from the technology we use, to where (and when) we clock in. Many people have come to enjoy the benefits of working from home — some become international digital nomads in countries like Dubai and Dominica, which are offering new extended-stay visa programs. For Americans, the latest place to launch a remote worker program is a bit closer to home: the Appalachian state of West Virginia.

 

Today, West Virginia announced a program called Ascend WV, which will pay people $12,000 and give them a year's worth of free outdoor recreation if they move to the Mountain State. The program is kicking off by accepting applicants who will commit to living in Morgantown (later cities will include Shepardstown and Lewisburg, one of America's favorite mountain towns.)

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

I work in commercial real estate more/less. We're being told to expect to have 2-3 telework days permanently each week. And, believe it or not, it has me considering buying a house (we rent) in some far out suburbs as a result. It really will chance the way people live/commute, and this is absolutely brilliant by West Virginia.

 

Parts of the panhandle of WV are very accessible to inside DC metro and if you can do a 90 minute commute 2x a week and stay sane, you can buy a house on 3 acres for half the price of a 1 bedroom condo in Arlington.

 

I know these towns aren't really in a "commute shed" of Metro DC. But even without this incentive, there's quite a bit of incentive to make the move unless you love being in suburbia.

Edited April 13, 2021 by JamesMadisonSkins