Off Topic Coronavirus

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Took the little car in for its MOT today.

It’s done less than 1,000 miles in a year (take the bigger one to ferry the daughter and her mountains of kit to university) thanks to lockdowns and the pointlessness of travel. Hopefully a little plus for the planet and air pollution.

Very tempted to sell it, which would inevitably generate a situation where two cars were essential for the family.
 
sb_73 said:
Took the little car in for its MOT today.

It’s done less than 1,000 miles in a year (take the bigger one to ferry the daughter and her mountains of kit to university) thanks to lockdowns and the pointlessness of travel. Hopefully a little plus for the planet and air pollution.

Very tempted to sell it, which would inevitably generate a situation where two cars were essential for the family.
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Here's one to get you wondering: if there is less pollution due to limited travel, why are we all wearing masks?
 
Ranger4ever said:
It was a tongue in cheek comment. The irony of wearing masks (totally essential) yet the air is cleaner due to less pollutants.
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That reminds me of that other question which always makes you wonder whether it's you or the person who asked it. "Where did you last see it/ put it." If only I could remember that I wouldn't be searching for [the lost item] now. Hands up anyone who immediately finds it after that question.
 
YorkshireHoopster said:
That reminds me of that other question which always makes you wonder whether it's you or the person who asked it. "Where did you last see it/ put it." If only I could remember that I wouldn't be searching for [the lost item] now. Hands up anyone who immediately finds it after that question.
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'Have you looked everywhere?'

Plainly not.
 
Discussion (amicable) on Any Questions, or whatever the radio version is called, about whether it should be expected or even obliged that people go back to work in offices. Given the age and professions of the panel (politicians, journalists etc) they all mithered on about how wonderful and spontaneous face to face working is, and how important for ‘culture’, while all being careful not to support compelling people to go back into the office. But the preference was obvious, we should be in offices for the majority if not quite all of the time.

Strikes me that these are the exact wrong people to ask - as would I be. Wrong age, wrong professions, wrong personal history, old fashioned, no imagination to see that alternatives have emerged and will get better, and these will give some companies and organisations a competitive advantage going forward, in recruitment and retention at least, and possibly in productivity. Personally I miss face to face working hugely, but then even pre pandemic I probably worked remotely for 70% of my time. I understand the arguments about the broader economies in cities (primarily London let’s be honest) being damaged because people won’t be out shopping and stuffing their faces in their lunch hours, but there are plenty of towns around the country where a glance at the high street will show you that the future has already happened. And the improvement in quality of life through not commuting and polluting for hours every week needs to be part of the equation too.
 
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sb_73 said:
Discussion (amicable) on Any Questions, or whatever the radio version is called, about whether it should be expected or even obliged that people go back to work in offices. Given the age and professions of the panel (politicians, journalists etc) they all mithered on about how wonderful and spontaneous face to face working is, and how important for ‘culture’, while all being careful not to support compelling people to go back into the office. But the preference was obvious, we should be in offices for the majority if not quite all of the time.

Strikes me that these are the exact wrong people to ask - as would I be. Wrong age, wrong professions, wrong personal history, old fashioned, no imagination to see that alternatives have emerged and will get better, and these will give some companies and organisations a competitive advantage going forward, in recruitment and retention at least, and possibly in productivity. Personally I miss face to face working hugely, but then even pre pandemic I probably worked remotely for 70% of my time. I understand the arguments about the broader economies in cities (primarily London let’s be honest) being damaged because people won’t be out shopping and stuffing their faces in their lunch hours, but there are plenty of towns around the country where a glance at the high street will show you that the future has already happened. And the improvement in quality of life through not commuting and polluting for hours every week needs to be part of the equation too.
Click to expand...

The increase in productivity through the better work/life balance will be a factor in this, as will the money that large businesses will save in rent/heating/electricity etc over the course of a year. Hot desks will surely become far more common place.

I'd love to see the big corporations downsize the floorspace they inhabit, and the redundant areas be made into social housing. This could re-invigorate central city living, allowing those businesses that lose the trade from the professionals spunking all their lunchtime cash on cappuchinos and paninis to find a new client base. Big dream I know, they'll probably turn them into gyms or fancy penthouses for Arabs and Russians second homes!
 
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Steelmonkey said:
The increase in productivity through the better work/life balance will be a factor in this, as will the money that large businesses will save in rent/heating/electricity etc over the course of a year. Hot desks will surely become far more common place.

I'd love to see the big corporations downsize the floorspace they inhabit, and the redundant areas be made into social housing. This could re-invigorate central city living, allowing those businesses that lose the trade from the professionals spunking all their lunchtime cash on cappuchinos and paninis to find a new client base. Big dream I know, they'll probably turn them into gyms or fancy penthouses for Arabs and Russians second homes!
Click to expand...
We had our big announcement about working in the future today. Essentially unless you work in a factory or laboratory, it will be assumed that you will be working flexibly and you can come into the office everyday if you want or for mandated meetings only and anything in between. At HQs in the US they have accelerated the office upgrade programme and done 3 to 4 years of work while nobody was there, including lots of very jazzy connectivity stuff. Review of office space needed around the world going forward kicked off, but will take months to complete. Seems sensible to me.

They are going back to offices in the US next month, with masks and distancing and only if you can show you have been vaccinated. Expect a full return to normal sometime in July. Other countries will vary in opening offices according to local circumstances. Also an acknowledgement that some cultures won’t go for remote working as much as others. Some of my Japanese mates have substituted being online for 18 hours a day for pointlessly staying in the office until 8 every evening.

Personally, I will be very obviously in the dinosaur class. I’ve spent over a decade doing a lot of international travel, and the past year has shown that we don’t need to do anything like as much of that stuff, and it’s expensive, so will be discouraged strongly. However, I enjoy it, and am really bored of Internet meetings………..if I can’t have a few trips every year, retirement beckons….
 
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Whilst I understand all the points made about freeing up office space, cost cutting etc etc, I do wonder whether it's just another step along the road of less and less face to face contact for humans.
There's more and more medical self diagnosis, with ever more advanced kit for this stuff.
Teaching online has been a necessity, but with self service tills more and more prevalent and today's younger generation looking at screens so much, it will, one day I'm sure, be possible to do just about everything remotely (including sex!!).
Progress?
 
rangercol said:
Whilst I understand all the points made about freeing up office space, cost cutting etc etc, I do wonder whether it's just another step along the road of less and less face to face contact for humans.
There's more and more medical self diagnosis, with ever more advanced kit for this stuff.
Teaching online has been a necessity, but with self service tills more and more prevalent and today's younger generation looking at screens so much, it will, one day I'm sure, be possible to do just about everything remotely (including sex!!).
Progress?
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It’s not just about cost cutting, it’s about quality of life for some people who spend a fortune and a large slice of their life commuting, who can spend a bit more time with family etc. But for some, especially younger workers, face to face is important. My CEO was good today, one of the things he said was it’s especially important for some of our younger colleagues, stuck for months in downtown studio apartments, to have the choice to come in and bump into people, have coffee and lunch with colleagues, whenever they want.

it might be possible to do loads of things remotely, but that’s different from people actually wanting to do everything from afar. See JG Ballard’s short story The Intensive Care Unit link: https://ninapower.net/2020/05/05/348/
It really is about precisely what you describe. And was written years before the internet existed.

So far the most irritating thing about remote communication is that every twat in the world thinks it’s fine to share their opinion anonymously. In my opinion.
 
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rangercol said:
Whilst I understand all the points made about freeing up office space, cost cutting etc etc, I do wonder whether it's just another step along the road of less and less face to face contact for humans.
There's more and more medical self diagnosis, with ever more advanced kit for this stuff.
Teaching online has been a necessity, but with self service tills more and more prevalent and today's younger generation looking at screens so much, it will, one day I'm sure, be possible to do just about everything remotely (including sex!!).
Progress?
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You get my vote <laugh>
 
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sb_73 said:
Personally, I will be very obviously in the dinosaur class. I’ve spent over a decade doing a lot of international travel, and the past year has shown that we don’t need to do anything like as much of that stuff, and it’s expensive, so will be discouraged strongly. However, I enjoy it, and am really bored of Internet meetings………..if I can’t have a few trips every year, retirement beckons….
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Seems that the Indian variant has made it to these shores, not just up here but in a few places down in England too. Lots of messages being sent out to the Asian community to be careful with the end of Ramadan and the Eid celebrations, which generally see mass gatherings...

Glasgow outbreak 'relatively contained'
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An outbreak of Covid cases in the south of Glasgow is "relatively contained", according to national clinical director Prof Jason Leitch.

He said he hoped the city would move down to level two restrictions as planned on Monday.

However, he said no decisions had yet been taken and that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon would provide updates about both Glasgow and Moray on Friday.

She said on Tuesday that Moray was likely to stay in level three.

This followed a surge in cases in the area, which currently has a case rate of 98.1 per 100,000 - well above a key threshold for easing restrictions.

The latest published rate for Glasgow is 70.9 per 100,000.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-57100228

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57092102


Indian variant: Government 'concern' at speed of growth
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Local and regional restrictions to tackle the Indian Covid variant cannot be ruled out, the government has said, as it expressed concern over the speed of the variant's spread in England.

It said "economic and social" restrictions could be re-imposed in parts of England if necessary.

Measures could also include bringing forward second vaccines for some people in the worst affected areas.

Public Health England has recorded 1,313 UK cases of the Indian variant.

The figures released on Thursday are more than double the 520 cases recorded by PHE up to 5 May.

The Department of Health and Social Care said there was "no firm evidence yet to show this variant has any greater impact on severity of disease or evades the vaccine".

But it also said ministers "cannot rule out re-imposing economic and social restrictions at a local or regional level if evidence suggests they are necessary to contain or suppress a variant which escapes the vaccine".

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government was supporting areas where cases were rising and urged people to "continue to be vigilant".

"We are monitoring the situation very carefully and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary," he said.

Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not rule out reintroducing regional restrictions, saying: "It is a variant of concern, we are anxious about it."

But he added there was no evidence to suggest England's planned lockdown easing could not go ahead.

Surge testing is already taking place in 15 areas across England. This is when increased testing and enhanced contact tracing is carried out in very specific locations to prevent the spread of outbreaks.
 
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